What's happening
This bill prohibits housing discrimination based on involvement in past, ongoing, or current landlord-tenant legal actions, except for unsatisfied court orders.
Why it matters
Reduces "tenant blacklisting". By prohibiting housing discrimination based on involvement in landlord-tenant legal actions, the bill aims to prevent landlords from automatically denying housing to those who have been to housing court, protecting tenants who have asserted their legal rights or faced eviction proceedings, regardless of the outcome.
Promotes fairer access to housing. The bill would make it harder for landlords to use court records as a blanket reason to deny applicants, which disproportionately affects low-income renters, families, and others who may have experienced housing instability or exercised their right to contest eviction.
Addresses use of legal records in real estate practices. By extending these protections to real estate brokers, agents, and others, the bill targets not just landlords but also those in the broader housing market who might use "tenant blacklists" or reference legal proceedings to steer, exclude, or stigmatize renters.
Maintains accountability for unsatisfied court orders. The exception for tenants with unsatisfied court orders (such as unpaid judgments) means landlords can still deny housing based on unresolved legal obligations, balancing tenant protections with property owners’ interests in recouping losses.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Ban Tenant Blacklists
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
2 Multi-sponsors
History
- Referred to housing
- Referred to housing
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Ban Tenant Blacklisting
In Senate Committee · Investigations And Government Operations · Sponsor Michael Gianaris
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
3827
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 30, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. ROSENTHAL, GOTTFRIED, HEVESI, DINOWITZ, COLTON, CYMBROWITZ -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. ARROYO, PERRY -- read once and referred to the Committee on Housing
AN ACT to amend the executive law, in relation to a tenant blacklist
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Subdivision 2 of section 296 of the executive law is amended by adding a new paragraph (a-1) to read as follows:
(a-1) It shall be an unlawful discriminatory practice for the owner, lessee, sublessee, assignee, or managing agent of publicly-assisted housing accommodations or other person having the right of ownership or possession of or the right to rent or lease such accommodations to refuse to sell, rent or lease or otherwise deny or to withhold from any person or group of persons such a housing accommodation on the basis that such person or group of persons were involved in past, ongoing or current landlord-tenant action or summary proceeding emanating from article seven of the real property law, except where the tenant or group of tenants have not satisfied the order.
§ 2. Subdivision 3-b of section 296 of the executive law, as amended by chapter 106 of the laws of 2003, is amended to read as follows:
3-b. It shall be an unlawful discriminatory practice for any real estate broker, real estate salesperson or employee or agent thereof or any other individual, corporation, partnership or organization for the purpose of inducing a real estate transaction from which any such person or any of its stockholders or members may benefit financially, to represent that a change has occurred or will or may occur in the composition with respect to race, creed, color, national origin, sexual orientation, military status, sex, disability, past, ongoing or current landlord-tenant action or summary proceeding emanating from article seven of the real property law, marital status, or familial status of the owners or occupants in the block, neighborhood or area in which the real property
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05099-01-7
A. 3827 2
is located, and to represent, directly or indirectly, that this change will or may result in undesirable consequences in the block, neighborhood or area in which the real property is located, including but not limited to the lowering of property values, an increase in criminal or anti-social behavior, or a decline in the quality of schools or other facilities.
§ 3. Paragraph (a) of subdivision 5 of section 296 of the executive law is amended by adding a new subparagraph 1-a to read as follows:
(1-a) It shall be an unlawful discriminatory practice for the owner, lessee, sublessee, assignee, or managing agent of, or any other person having the right to sell, rent or lease a housing accommodation, constructed or to be constructed, or any agent or employee thereof, to refuse to sell, rent or lease or otherwise deny or to withhold from any person or group of persons such a housing accommodation on the basis that such person or group of persons were involved in past, ongoing or current landlord-tenant action or summary proceeding emanating from article seven of the real property law, except where the tenant or group of tenants have not satisfied the order.
§ 4. This act shall take effect immediately.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.