The City Council yesterday passed legislation meant to prevent property owners from using high pressure tactics to drive out rent stabilized tenants.
A package of three bills approved 41-1 will:
- Make it unlawful for a building owner to contact a tenant about a buyout offer for 180 days after being notified in writing by the tenant that he/she wishes not to be contacted about buyouts. There’s an exception in the legislation when a judge orders the two sides to enter buyout negotiations.
- Ban building owners from: “threatening, intimidating or using profane or obscene language” in connection with buyout offers; contacting tenants at “odd hours or with such frequency” as to be considered harassment; contacting tenants at their places of employment without permission; and “knowingly falsifying or misrepresenting information provided to a tenant.”
- Make it unlawful for a tenant to be contacted about a buyout offer without being notified in writing of: (1) the purpose for the contact; (2) that they may refuse any offer made and that they are permitted to stay in their apartment; (3) that they may consult an attorney regarding any offer made; (4) that any offer is being made by or on behalf of the owner; and (5) that they may refuse any further contact regarding a buyout offer for a period of 180 days.
“In recent years, due in part to rapidly increasing housing prices,” a City Council press release noted, “some owners have engaged in abusive and intimidating behavior to coerce tenants into accepting these buyout offers and leaving their homes.” “Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito said, “All of these laws will protect tenants and keep the process of buyout offers by land lords fair and honest.”
Since all the worst and greediest landlords simply dont obey existing laws (like providing heat and hot water and a safe environment) what makes them think that these vermin will follow these laws? Absolutely noone will be prosecuted for breaking them. This is grandstanding.