NYC Landlord Harassment
Your Landlord Doesn't
Your Landlord Doesn't
Get to Bully You Out.
If your landlord is shutting off heat, entering without notice, threatening you, or making your apartment uninhabitable to force you out — that's not just bad behavior. It's illegal harassment, and NY law gives you real tools to fight back. We use every one of them.
Is This Happening to You?
NYC law defines tenant harassment broadly. If your landlord is doing any of the following, you almost certainly have a case worth pursuing.
- Repeated Loss of Heat or Hot Water Between October 1 and May 31, NYC law requires heat at specific temperatures. A landlord who repeatedly fails to provide heat — especially after complaints — is committing harassment, not just neglect. →
- Unauthorized Entry to Your Apartment Landlords must give 24 hours' written notice before entering for non-emergency reasons. Showing up unannounced, entering when you're not home, or using your apartment as a shortcut is illegal entry — and a harassment pattern. →
- Threats, Verbal Abuse, or Intimidation Threats to call ICE, threats of eviction, verbal abuse, or intimidating behavior designed to make you leave are harassment under NYC law. They don't have to be physical to be actionable. →
- False Eviction Notices or Lawsuits Landlords who file repeated frivolous eviction proceedings to wear you down are engaging in harassment. Each bad-faith filing creates additional liability for the landlord. →
- Withholding Services or Amenities Cutting off elevator service, locking laundry rooms, removing storage space, refusing to take out garbage — anything designed to make your apartment less habitable to push you out qualifies as harassment. →
- Refusing Repairs to Force Vacate A landlord who lets your apartment deteriorate — refusing to fix leaks, ignoring pest complaints, leaving violations open — to make conditions intolerable is harassing you. Pattern of neglect proves intent. →
- Buyout Pressure or Cash-for-Keys Tactics Aggressive buyout offers, repeated visits to pressure you to leave, or false claims that the building is being sold/demolished are harassment tactics. You have the right to refuse and the right to stay. →
- Construction Harassment Permits filed for 'renovations' the landlord never intends to complete — creating dust, noise, and uninhabitable conditions to push you out — is a recognized harassment pattern, especially in rent-stabilized buildings. →
Recognize the pattern?
Free consultation. We'll tell you if you have a case worth filing.
Every Tool We Use to Stop the Harassment.
These tools work in combination. We pick the right mix for your specific situation.
- HP Action (Emergency Housing Court Relief) Filed in Housing Court to compel repairs, restore services, or stop ongoing conduct. Can be filed on an emergency basis. Once filed, the landlord faces court oversight every step of the way. →
- DHCR Harassment Complaint If your apartment is rent-stabilized, the Division of Housing and Community Renewal can investigate and fine the landlord directly. DHCR findings stay on the landlord's record permanently. →
- Civil Lawsuit for Harassment Damages Under NYC's tenant harassment law, you can sue your landlord for monetary damages — including emotional distress and attorney's fees. Civil penalties can reach five figures per incident. →
- Emergency Restraining Orders If the harassment is severe — repeated unauthorized entry, threats, ICE-call threats, physical confrontations — we seek immediate court orders restraining the landlord's conduct while the case proceeds. →
- Anti-Retaliation Protection NY law prohibits retaliation against tenants who complain to government agencies. If your landlord starts new harassment after you file with HPD or DHCR, every retaliatory act creates additional damages exposure. →
- Public Pressure & Media Attention Some landlords only respond to public exposure. We connect clients with tenant-advocacy organizations and media outlets when the case warrants — and when it's strategically useful for the settlement. →
Don't wait — pattern documentation gets harder over time.
The sooner we start, the stronger your case. Free consultation.
What You Can Recover.
Harassment cases are not just about stopping the conduct — they're about damages.
- Civil Penalties NYC tenant harassment law authorizes civil penalties of $2,000–$10,000 per violation, payable to you. Patterns of multiple violations compound fast.
- Emotional Distress Damages Harassment causes real harm — anxiety, sleep loss, fear. NY courts recognize emotional distress as compensable in harassment cases.
- Attorney's Fees Shifted to Landlord Successful harassment cases typically shift your legal fees to the landlord — which is why landlords often settle rather than litigate to verdict.
- Repair Orders When harassment includes neglect, the court can order specific repairs with deadlines. Failure to comply triggers contempt sanctions.
- Rent Reductions Where harassment included reduction of services, courts can retroactively reduce your rent for the period of reduced services — and you can recover the overpayment.
- Restraining Orders Court orders explicitly prohibiting specific landlord conduct, with contempt consequences for violations.
Tell Us What's Happening.
We respond to harassment intakes within one business day. If the situation is urgent, call (212) 300-3191 immediately — a real attorney answers 24/7.
Landlord Harassment Questions Answered.
Does the harassment have to be physical to qualify?
No. NYC's tenant harassment law explicitly covers non-physical conduct — repeated frivolous lawsuits, false statements, threats of ICE referrals, repeated buyout offers, denial of services, and unauthorized entry. The law was deliberately written broadly because most landlord harassment is structural and behavioral, not physical.
What if my landlord claims they didn't know they were doing anything wrong?
It doesn't matter for purposes of liability under NYC harassment law. The standard isn't intent to harass — it's whether the conduct caused or was intended to cause you to vacate or surrender rights. Ignorance of the law is not a defense, and a pattern of conduct establishes intent regardless of what the landlord claims.
How long does a harassment case take?
Emergency HP Actions can produce restraining orders within 24-72 hours. DHCR complaints take 6-12 months to resolve. Civil harassment damages cases vary by complexity but often settle within 9-18 months. We pursue the fastest-moving track that addresses your immediate situation while building the damages case in parallel.
What if I can't afford to move out while the case proceeds?
You don't have to. The whole point of harassment litigation is to make staying possible — through restraining orders, repair orders, and service-restoration orders. We file for emergency relief on day one when the situation requires it. The goal is to make you safe to stay, not to push you toward leaving.
My building isn't rent-stabilized. Can I still have a harassment case?
Yes. NYC's tenant harassment law applies to all tenants regardless of regulatory status. Rent-stabilized tenants have additional remedies through DHCR, but every NYC tenant has access to HP Actions, civil harassment damages, and restraining orders against landlord misconduct.
How much does it cost me?
Nothing unless we win. We represent harassment clients on contingency — our fee is a percentage of any damages recovered, plus court-ordered attorney's fee shifts. You pay no out-of-pocket costs for the case to proceed. If we don't win, you owe us nothing.
My landlord is threatening to call ICE if I complain. What do I do?
Threats to report immigration status are explicitly classified as harassment under NYC law — and they're independently illegal under NY state's anti-discrimination laws. Document the threat (text, voicemail, witness account), do not let it deter you from pursuing the case, and call us immediately. We've handled this exact pattern and we know how to fight it.
What if I've already moved out because of the harassment?
Constructive eviction — where harassment forced you to leave — is still actionable. You can recover moving costs, the difference in rent between your old and new apartment, and damages for the harassment that drove you out. The case is harder to win than one where you're still in the unit, but it's far from impossible. Talk to us about the specifics.
Want to learn more?
Detailed walkthrough of NYC landlord harassment law, including documentation tips, heat-season rights, and the DHCR complaint process.
Read the full guide →Stop the Harassment. Recover the Damages.
Free consultation. A real attorney answers, 24/7. No fee unless we win. Don't wait — pattern documentation gets harder over time.