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Mayor Bill de Blasio has signed into law a package of bills that give New Yorkers sweeping protections against tenant harassment and unsafe living conditions. The package of bills was first introduced in April and was approved by the City Council in early August.
Among the bills signed into law is one for an Office of the Tenant Advocate within the Department of Buildings that will monitor various protection plans for tenants and respond to complaints from tenants about construction problems.
“The Office of the Tenant Advocate represents an end to business as usual at the Department of Buildings,” Council Member Helen Rosenthal said on Wednesday, when De Blasio signed the bills. “While many at DOB do important work on behalf of tenants, the bureaucracy just isn’t in place to make tenants’ voices heard. This bill will change that, giving tenants a dedicated watchdog and workhorse on their behalf.”
Eleven of the additional bills ratified on Wednesday are being called the Stand for Tenant Safety package. One will impose penalties on construction work carried out without permits in an effort to protect tenants against landlords who start construction under the pretense of making repairs, only to then make the building uninhabitable in an effort to drive out rent-stabilized tenants.
Another will classify visits or phone calls from landlords at odd hours as intimidation. A third will require that work permits posted at a construction site indicate whether the building is occupied. A fourth will allow judges in Housing Court to award damages to tenants who bring successful harassment claims against their landlord.
The package of bills was pushed forward by City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito, along with council members Mark Levine, Carlos Menchaca, Ritchie Torres, Helen Rosenthal and Jumaane Williams.
New York landlords are required to provide tenants with certain basic necessities. Head this way for a list of what those encompass. For a broader look at renting in New York, click here.