The price of tenant harassment is getting steeper. On Tuesday, a City Council subcommittee approved a set of 20 bills designed to protect tenants from harassment, paving the way for the entire chamber to pass it.
The bills would make it easier for tenants to prove harassment, increase fines for landlords found guilty of harassment or construction violations, and ramp up oversight of contractors, Crain’s reported.
Council member Helen Rosenthal called the bill a “sea change” for tenant rights. “It’s a historic day for tenants,” she said.
The bills would also make it easier for the city to go after landlords who don’t pay their fines. Council members cited the example of developer Steve Croman, who recently pleaded guilty to fraud and who failed to pay fines for seven years but still managed to get new building permits.
In July, The Real Deal broke down how landlords are affected by growing public scrutiny in the wake of the Croman trial. [Crain’s] — Konrad Putzier