Queens landlord reaches out to pols

Vantage Properties, a Queens landlord accused of forcing low-income tenants out of their apartments, is reaching out to elected officials to repair its image. At least four officials — one assemblymen, two councilmen, and a state senator — were approached by Vantage executives, who deny pressuring tenants out of their homes. In his first public statement since the first slew of bad publicity, Vantage CEO Neil Rubler said that while Vantage will evict tenants who do not pay their rent, it is not going crossing “any boundaries in either law or good business practices in terms of the legal actions that we bring.” As The Real Deal reported last week, Vantage closed on the largest rental apartment building in Rego Park, Queens, for $74 million.