Expands the type of conduct that qualifies as harassment of tenants; provides that such conduct will result in tenants being entitled to treble damages.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
10306
IN ASSEMBLY
February 20, 2026
___________
Introduced by M. of A. ROSENTHAL -- read once and referred to the
Committee on Housing
AN ACT to amend the administrative code of the city of New York, in
relation to providing additional protections for tenants who are
harassed by landlords
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. Subparagraphs g and h of paragraph 48 of subdivision a of
2 section 27-2004 of the administrative code of the city of New York, as
3 amended by local law number 144 of the city of New York for the year
4 2025, are amended and five new subparagraphs i, j, k, l and m are added
5 to read as follows:
6 g. other repeated acts or omissions of such significance as to
7 substantially interfere with or disturb the comfort, repose, peace or
8 quiet of any person lawfully entitled to occupancy of such dwelling unit
9 and that cause or are intended to cause such person to vacate such
10 dwelling unit or to surrender or waive any rights in relation to such
11 occupancy, including improperly requiring such person to seek, receive
12 or refrain from submitting to medical treatment in violation of subdivi-
13 sion b of section 26-1201; [or]
14 h. any conduct in violation of section 26-521[.];
15 i. withdrawing or attempting to withdraw unauthorized funds from a
16 tenant's bank account;
17 j. engaging in a pattern of conduct that repeatedly violates subpara-
18 graph i of this paragraph;
19 k. repeatedly furnishing tenants with false or misleading rent state-
20 ments for rent which the landlord knows or has reason to know has
21 already been tendered or is not owed;
22 l. refusing to reimburse or apply rent credits within thirty days; or
23 m. commencing one or more non-payment proceedings for rent which the
24 landlord knows or has reason to know is not due, or for rent that has
25 been tendered and refused without reason.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD14819-02-6
A. 10306 2
1 § 2. Subdivision (o) of section 27-2115 of the administrative code of
2 the city of New York, as added by local law number 148 of the city of
3 New York for the year 2017, is amended to read as follows:
4 (o) In any action brought by a lawful occupant or group of lawful
5 occupants under subdivision [h] (h) of this section for a violation of
6 subdivision d of section 27-2005 of this chapter, the housing part
7 shall, in addition to any other relief such court determines to be
8 appropriate, award to each such occupant (i) compensatory damages or, at
9 the election of such occupant, one thousand dollars and (ii) reasonable
10 attorneys' fees and costs. Such court may also, at its sole discretion,
11 award punitive damages. Further, in the case of an owner violating
12 subparagraphs i, j, k, l, and m of paragraph 48 of subdivision a of
13 section 27-2004 of this chapter such lawful occupant or group of lawful
14 occupants shall be awarded treble damages.
15 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
