Dos & Don'ts, Q & A, In the News, Landlord v. Tenant

City Wins Three Lawsuits Against Notorious Landlord

November 21, 2023    

Mayor Eric Adams recently announced that the city has won around $4.2 million in fines and settlements in three lawsuits against Daniel Ohebshalom and his business affiliates. The city accused Ohebshalom of making more than $300,000 in illegal hotel fees after displacing tenants in rent-...

New York Attorney General Launches Fair Housing Tester Program

November 21, 2023    

New York Attorney General Letitia James is launching a program to fund fair housing testers across the state. The program will use undercover testers to determine if fair housing laws are being followed in New York. The program will include responding to complaints about housing bias, advocating...

Landlord v. Tenant: November 2023

October 27, 2023    

DEMOLITION

Demolition Application Denied by DHCR

Landlord asked the DHCR for permission to refuse renewal of tenant’s lease and proceed for eviction based on building demolition. The DRA ruled against landlord, finding that it hadn’t submitted plans for the work at...

Management Company, Owner Sue Airbnb and Tenant for Local Law 18 Violations

October 27, 2023    

On Sept. 5, the city began enforcing Local Law 18 rules that require licenses for short-term rental hosts, banned whole-home rentals, and limited guests to two per reservation. Local Law 18 also requires registration requests to be denied for buildings on a prohibited buildings list. To be...

Judge Dismisses Airbnb Lawsuit Over Local Law 18 Enforcement

August 24, 2023    

A state Supreme Court judge has dismissed a lawsuit brought by Airbnb against New York City over what Airbnb called “extreme and oppressive” restrictions and a “de facto ban” on listings of less than 30 days [Airbnb, Inc v. NYC Mayor’s Office of Special Enf’t...

Landlord v. Tenant: September 2023

August 24, 2023    

RENT

Court Questions Whether Guaranty in Initial Lease Extended Upon Lease Renewal

Landlord sued to evict tenant in housing court for nonpayment of rent. In that prior proceeding, landlord obtained a judgment for rent owed in the amount of $45,100, and tenant moved out of the...

Include Monthly Rent Breakdown in All Rent Demand Notices

July 25, 2023    

Before you can sue to evict a tenant for not paying the rent, you must send the tenant a legal notice known as a “rent demand.” In it, you ask the tenant to pay the rent owed and give him a chance to pay before starting a nonpayment proceeding. Although this seems simple enough,...

Don't Use ChatGPT for Marketing Purposes

July 25, 2023    

Like other real estate businesses, you may be using ChatGPT, Bard, Bing, and other generative AI products, a.k.a. chatbots, for marketing purposes, such as developing advertising strategies, analyzing housing markets, and generating property listings, ads, social media posts, and other marketing...

City Council Overrides Mayor’s Veto to Expand Rental Vouchers

July 25, 2023    

The City Council recently voted 42-8 to override Mayor Adams’s recent veto of four bills intended to expand eligibility for city-issued rental vouchers. The bills, which initially passed in May, will eliminate several existing qualifications to access City Family Homelessness and Eviction...

City Council Passes Lead-Related Legislation

July 25, 2023    

Inspectors may soon have to report on landlords who try to contest their results.

 

Landlord v. Tenant: July 2023

June 22, 2023    

RENT OVERCHARGE

Court Permits Tenant Claiming Fraud to Subpoena Building-Wide Rent Registration Records

Tenant sued landlord, claiming rent overcharge and a fraudulent scheme to evade the Rent Stabilization Law. After starting the lawsuit, tenant sent the DHCR a subpoena for...

Council Votes to Create Citywide Residential Curbside Organics Collection Program

June 22, 2023    

The penalties for not properly sorting out organic waste will be the same for not sorting recyclables.