Dan Peckham Sets Us Straight on the New Anti-Harassment Law

Last week the city council passed a bill making it possible for tenants to sue landlords for harassment in Housing Court.  Great, I thought, at least it’s a step in the right direction – and I didn’t bother to think about it further.  But then I ran into Dan Peckham, “NYC Real Estate Legend” on the street Saturday and he set me straight.  He pointed out that tenants have always been able to sue for harassment at the DHCR,  (Here's the form) and that furthermore, it still puts the burden on the tenant (the city, by itself, is still not going to go after harassing landlords).  And even if the tenant wins, he still doesn’t get anything!  The city gets the money from the pitifully small ($1,000 - $5,000) fine, which in any event is not enough to deter the landlord, who often stands to make millions, from further acts of harassment.  As fanaticial as he sometimes sounds, Dan is generally right about these things.

Basically the law (Local Law No. 7) "creates a violation for harassment in and of itself, providing a new layer of protection for renters in New York City.  Some of the actions that qualify as harassment under this legislation include: using force or making threats against a lawful occupant, repeated or prolonged interruptions of essential services, using frivolous court proceedings to disrupt a tenant’s life or force an eviction, removing the possessions of a lawful tenant, removing doors or damaging locks to a unit, or any other acts designed to disturb a lawful occupant’s residence.  The law also prevents similar actions by third parties working on the landlord’s behalf."