To the victors go the spoils, and so renters: This Bud's for you. After the Tenant Protection Act was passed by the City Council?allowing renters to file complaints against landlords for threats, denial of essential services and other harassment?the landlord lobby quickly moved to sue the hell out of it, arguing that "harassment" is a bit too murky to objectively evaluate. The State Supreme Court disagreed, and upheld the Tenant Protection Act in a ruling that called it a "rational legislative response to what the City Council has determined is the potential for a growing problem of tenant harassment in New York City." The Rent Stabilization Association (the sneakily-named landlord group) is weighing an appeal, but it's not the most devastating defeat. Fines for landlords range from $1,000 to $5,000, and only 21 harassment cases (out of 540!) have resulted in penalties.
· Expanded Protections for Tenants Are Upheld in Court [NYT]
· Tenant Protection Act coverage [Curbed]
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