City Council Bill Would Compel Owners to Make Repairs

Two years ago the city passed a law to make landlords repair the “underlying conditions” that cause mold to linger and ceilings to collapse instead of simply covering problems with layers of paint. Since the law was passed, records show the city has targeted only 69 buildings, including eight in Manhattan, four in Queens, and one in Staten Island. There were 36 in Brooklyn and 20 in the Bronx. The city has stated that it has the resources to target only 50 buildings a year for “underlying conditions orders.”

To increase the pressure on owners, three Council members, Ritchie Torres (D-Bronx), and Rafael Espinal and Antonio Reynoso (both D-Brooklyn), plan to introduce a bill that amends the law to allow tenants to go to court directly to compel owners to make the repairs.