Bill > S01217

This bill addresses the issue of "warehousing" in housing, which is the practice of intentionally keeping housing accommodations off the market, including for potential future cooperative apartment conversions. The bill amends the administrative code of New York City to make such practices unlawful, defining harassment as engaging in conduct that alarms or seriously annoys tenants without a legitimate purpose. It establishes significant financial penalties for violations, with first-time offenses incurring a civil penalty of $2,000 to $3,000, and subsequent offenses or violations affecting multiple housing accommodations carrying penalties of $10,000 to $11,000. The legislation stems from the legislature's recognition of housing as a basic human right and aims to combat housing shortages by deterring property owners from deliberately keeping apartments vacant. The bill emphasizes protecting tenants' rights and ensuring available housing, with provisions that will remain in effect as long as the city's emergency housing rent control regulations are in place. The goal is to create legal mechanisms that discourage property owners from manipulating the housing market and potentially forcing tenants out of their homes.

Housing and Urban Affairs

https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/bills/2025/S1217