NEW YORK (WABC) — There is a new proposed law to help protect New York City residents from abusive landlords and repeat offenders could even face felony charges.<\/p>\n
Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg joined state lawmakers on Thursday to announce a bill that aims to create tougher penalties for systemic harassment of rent-regulated tenants.<\/p>\n
Of all the relationships in the big city, the ones between landlords and their tenants could be the most contentious.<\/p>\n
Pat Loughman has seen it all in half a century at her building and as Tenant Association president, she believes the landlord of her Upper West Side building routinely harasses rent-stabilized seniors like herself to get them out and replace them with tenants at market rent.<\/p>\n
On Thursday, Bragg announced a plan to sharpen the teeth of criminal law when it comes to unscrupulous landlords.<\/p>\n
“This reflects the reality of what we’re seeing on the ground of how tenant harassment is happening,” Bragg said. “Not just one isolated building but across multiple buildings in multiple neighborhoods.”<\/p>\n
It’s part of a new bill working its way through Albany which gives prosecutors more options to target landlords – many of whom harass tenants in multiple buildings.<\/p>\n
Previously, that would have meant separate and weaker cases.<\/p>\n
It turns out Loughman’s landlord was recently indicted by Bragg for alleged harassment in a building in Chelsea.<\/p>\n
“Same landlord, same bad action,” Loughman said.<\/p>\n
With more than a million rent-stabilized apartment across the city, prosecutors are hoping this bill, if passed, will serve as the deterrence they need to help protect tenants from future harassment by their landlords.<\/p>\n
If you’d like to file a complaint against your landlord, contact the Manhattan DA’s Housing and Tenant Protection Unit at 212-335-3300 or email Danyhousing@dany.nyc.gov.<\/p>\n
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