Add Art 6-B §§219-a - 219-e, RP L; amd §4, add §85, Mult Dwell L; amd §63, Exec L
Enacts the "anti-slumlord act" which prohibits the acquisition of residential property by property owners with outstanding immediate hazardous violations; defines terms; establishes and requires a compliance certification form; sets forth recording requirements; provides for enforcement of provisions by the attorney general.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
9332
IN SENATE
March 2, 2026
___________
Introduced by Sen. SEPULVEDA -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Housing, Construction and
Community Development
AN ACT to amend the real property law, the multiple dwelling law and the
executive law, in relation to enacting the "anti-slumlord act"
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "anti-slum-
2 lord act".
3 § 2. Legislative findings and intent. The legislature intends to
4 incentivize property owners to promptly correct immediate hazardous
5 housing violations and to prevent irresponsible landlords, often
6 referred to as slumlords, from expanding their portfolios if they are
7 unwilling or incapable of providing safe and healthy living conditions
8 for their tenants.
9 § 3. The real property law is amended by adding a new article 6-B to
10 read as follows:
11 ARTICLE 6-B
12 PROHIBITION ON ACQUISITION OF RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY BY PROPERTY OWNERS
13 WITH OUTSTANDING IMMEDIATE HAZARDOUS VIOLATIONS
14 Section 219-a. Definitions.
15 219-b. Prohibition on acquisition of residential property.
16 219-c. Compliance certification required.
17 219-d. Recording requirements.
18 219-e. Enforcement.
19 § 219-a. Definitions. For purposes of this article, the following
20 terms shall have the following meanings:
21 1. "Residential property" shall mean any building, home, or structure
22 intended to be used for residential dwelling, and shall include one to
23 two family homes, multiple dwellings, and any mixed-use building that
24 has residential units.
25 2. "Property owner" shall mean any individual, partnership, trust,
26 limited liability corporation, or legal entity that holds the title to a
27 residential property.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD14738-02-6
S. 9332 2
1 3. "Immediate hazardous violation" shall mean any violation of a
2 municipal or statewide housing, building, health, or fire safety agency
3 code that is deemed by such agency to pose an immediate threat to the
4 life, health or safety of occupants, including, but not limited to,
5 class C violations as issued by the New York city department of housing
6 preservation and development.
7 4. "Housing enforcement agency" shall mean any countywide, municipal,
8 or statewide agency with the authority to inspect residential property
9 and issue violations based on housing, building, health, or safety
10 codes. Such term shall include, but not be limited to, the division of
11 housing and community renewal, the department of health, and any other
12 departments and agencies that enforce housing codes.
13 5. "Outstanding immediate hazardous violation" shall mean an immediate
14 hazardous violation that has not been dismissed by a housing enforcement
15 agency or certified by a property owner.
16 § 219-b. Prohibition on acquisition of residential property. 1. No
17 residential property owner shall acquire directly, or through any indi-
18 rect means, residential property within the state of New York if such
19 owner has any outstanding immediate hazardous violations at presently
20 owned residential properties issued by a housing enforcement agency.
21 2. Such prohibition on the acquisition of residential property set
22 forth in subdivision one of this section shall apply to purchases,
23 transfers, conveyances of deed, transfers of controlling interest to
24 entities and persons who own property, and any type of transaction that
25 results in a property owner obtaining legal or beneficial ownership of
26 or in residential property.
27 3. Such prohibition on the acquisition of residential property set
28 forth in subdivision one of this section shall remain active until all
29 outstanding immediate hazardous violations have been corrected and
30 certified as corrected by the housing enforcement agency which issued
31 the violation. Such prohibition shall be removed once any and all previ-
32 ously defined violations have been corrected and certified.
33 § 219-c. Compliance certification required. 1. Prior to the recording
34 of any deed or other instrument conveying an interest in residential
35 property subject to this article, the prospective grantee or transferee
36 shall submit a compliance certification form, executed under penalty of
37 perjury, affirming that such grantee or transferee does not have any
38 outstanding immediate hazardous violations attached to any property
39 owned by such grantee or transferee.
40 2. Any deed or conveyance subject to this article that is recorded
41 without the compliance certification required by this section shall be
42 voidable and deemed invalid.
43 3. The division of housing and community renewal shall establish the
44 form and manner of the compliance certification form required by this
45 section and shall make such compliance certification form publicly
46 accessible in paper and electronic form.
47 4. Housing enforcement agencies shall make available information on
48 any outstanding immediate hazardous violations issued to residential
49 property owners, including the classifications of such violations.
50 § 219-d. Recording requirements. 1. Notwithstanding any other
51 provision of law to the contrary, the secretary of state, a county
52 clerk, city register, or other recording officer shall not accept for
53 recording any deed or conveyance subject to this article unless accompa-
54 nied by a compliance certification required pursuant to section two
55 hundred nineteen-c of this article.
S. 9332 3
1 2. No county clerk, city register, or other recording officer shall
2 incur civil or criminal liability for refusing to record any deed or
3 conveyance in accordance with this section.
4 § 219-e. Enforcement. 1. The attorney general is hereby authorized to
5 commence an action or proceeding to void or invalidate any conveyance of
6 residential property made in violation of this article.
7 2. Any property owner who knowingly violates the provisions of this
8 article shall be subject to a civil penalty of not less than ten thou-
9 sand dollars for each violation. Civil penalties collected pursuant to
10 this section shall be paid to the housing enforcement agency that issued
11 the outstanding immediate hazardous violation, and such funds shall be
12 used exclusively by such housing enforcement agency to conduct emergency
13 repairs on the property which incurred the violation.
14 3. Any attempt by a residential property owner to evade the provisions
15 of this article by conveying or transferring property through a related
16 entity or persons, shell company or other straw purchasers shall be
17 deemed a violation of this article.
18 § 4. Section 4 of the multiple dwelling law is amended by adding a new
19 subdivision 45 to read as follows:
20 45. An "immediate hazardous violation" is any violation of a municipal
21 or statewide housing, building, health, or fire safety agency code that
22 is deemed by such agency to pose an immediate threat to the life, health
23 or safety of occupants, including, but not limited to, class C
24 violations as issued by the New York city department of housing preser-
25 vation and development.
26 § 5. The multiple dwelling law is amended by adding a new section 85
27 to read as follows:
28 § 85. Classifications identifying immediate hazardous violations;
29 municipalities. Municipalities shall be authorized and encouraged to
30 adopt classifications identifying immediate hazardous violations. Where
31 a municipality has adopted such classifications authorized by this
32 section, any transfer or conveyance of residential property shall be
33 subject to the provisions of article six-B of the real property law.
34 § 6. Section 63 of the executive law is amended by adding a new subdi-
35 vision 19 to read as follows:
36 19. Have the authority to enforce article six-B of the real property
37 law, including the power to commence an action or proceeding to void or
38 invalidate any conveyance of residential property made in violation of
39 such article.
40 § 7. This act shall take effect one year after it shall have become a
41 law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any
42 rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its
43 effective date are authorized to be made and completed on or before such
44 effective date.
