Proposed City Council Bill Would Ban Repeated Buyout Offers

Last fall, Mayor de Blasio signed a bill increasing the maximum penalties for owners found to have harassed their tenants, from $5,000 to $10,000, and requiring the Department of Housing Preservation and Development to post a list online of owners that have been found to harass their tenants. Now, there has been a new bill introduced targeting a similar pool of owners who aggressively seek to buy out rent-stabilized leases.

City Council Speaker Melissa Mark-Viverito recently introduced a bill that would make repeated buyout offers from owners a form of illegal tenant harassment. Under the bill, once a tenant has made it clear he is not interested in a buyout, a landlord would have to cease making offers or face a $1,000 to $10,000 fine.