New Yorkers love to complain. Now they’ll have one more place to do it.
Newly-inaugurated Mayor Zohran Mamdani signed an executive order mandating “rental ripoff” hearings in all five boroughs. The hearings invite tenants to complain about their landlords, as well as propose changes from the city.
“New Yorkers know that too often, if they can find a home that they can afford, there is likely a reason they can afford it: Roaches and rats, heat that never turns on, elevators that are always out of order,” the mayor said at a press conference focused on his housing efforts.
Mamdani’s relationship with the real estate industry warmed toward the end of his campaign, as both sides realized they would need to work with one another. But the rental ripoff hearings stand to re-ignite the anger of the city’s multifamily landlords.
The hearings will be organized by the city’s new Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants, headed by former tenant advocate Cea Weaver, as well as the city’s housing development, buildings, and consumer and worker protection departments. The order calls for every borough to have a hearing within the first 100 days of the Mamdani administration, with the hearings resulting in a joint summary and report.
The hearings will specifically concern, “illegal, unfair, abusive, deceptive, or unconscionable landlord practices,” according to the order. The text refers to landlords and property managers as potential speakers, along with tenant organizations, advocates, and service providers.
The report is due no more than 90 days after the last hearing and should include a plan for the city to address “harmful landlord practices.” Outcomes should focus on ensuring faster correction of housing violations and increased coordination among agencies and with the public.