What's happening
This bill creates the crime of sabotaging rent regulated housing, making it a felony for owners to damage such accommodations to force tenants out.
Why it matters
Establishes specific criminal penalties for landlords or their agents who intentionally or recklessly damage rent-regulated apartments. this targets practices like destroying appliances, cutting off utilities, or other forms of harassment used to drive out tenants.
Classifies sabotage of rent-regulated housing as a class D felony. , meaning landlords found guilty could face serious criminal consequences, including potential prison time, rather than just civil penalties or fines.
Aims to deter the displacement of vulnerable tenants. by making it riskier for owners to undermine rent regulation protections through illegal tactics, thereby supporting housing stability for lower-income or long-term residents.
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Who cares
Rent-regulated tenants
The bill would make damaging their homes or related utilities to drive them out a class D felony when the damage is intended to impair habitability or is caused recklessly.
Owners of rent-regulated housing
Owners could face felony liability for qualifying damage caused by themselves or by agents acting under their instruction or contract with the intent to make a tenant vacate.
District attorneys
The bill would create a specific felony charge for sabotage intended to force rent-regulated tenants from their homes.
Headline styles
Make Tenant Harassment a Crime
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
No co-sponsors yet.
History
- Referred to codes
- Referred to codes
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.
Criminalize Landlord Sabotage
In Assembly Committee · Codes · Sponsor Joseph Lentol
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
2929
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
January 18, 2017
Introduced by Sen. DILAN -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Codes
AN ACT to amend the penal law, in relation to establishing the crime of sabotage of rent regulated accommodations
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. The penal law is amended by adding a new section 241.10 to read as follows: § 241.10 Sabotage of rent regulated accommodation.
An owner is guilty of sabotage of a rent regulated accommodation when, with intent to cause a rent regulated tenant to vacate a housing accommodation, such owner, or agent under instruction or contract of the owner:
1. With intent to impair habitability of a housing accommodation, causes damage to such housing accommodation or ancillary utility or apparatus to such housing accommodation; or
2. Recklessly causes damage to such housing accommodation or ancillary utility or apparatus to such housing accommodation.
Sabotage of a rent regulated accommodation is a class D felony.
§ 2. This act shall take effect immediately; provided that the amendment to article 241 of the penal law made by section one of this act shall not affect the repeal of such article and shall be deemed repealed therewith.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD01370-01-7
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the penal law, in relation to establishing the crime of sabotage of rent regulated accommodations
Purpose
The purpose of this bill is to expand tenant protections by establishing the crime of sabotage of rent regulated accommodations.
Summary of provisions
Section 1 creates the crime of sabotage as an intent to impair habitability of a housing accommodation or utility with the intent to cause a rent regulated tenant to vacate.
Existing law
Currently there is no existing law relating to sabotage of a rent regulated accommodation.
Justification
The extent to which landlords go in their efforts to force tenants to vacate their homes cannot be overlooked.
These efforts have gone well beyond the scope of current penal law that protects tenants of rent regulated accommodations from harassment at the hands of landlords, to intentionally jeopardizing the safety and well being of residents.
This legislation will hold accountable, landlords who purposefully sabotage rental units in an effort to make the accommodations uninhabitable. The practice of sabotaging rent regulated accommodations, and or necessary utilities to and within these units, has escalated in both number and severity.
Recent reports range from intentionally disconnecting water, electric and heat to these units to undermining the structural integrity of floors and walls. This practice poses an immediate risk to residents of the units and many have to endure these conditions for extended periods of time.
Legislative history
2015-2016: S.2328A/A.1531 Referred to codes 2014-2015: S.6941/A.9297 Referred to codes
Fiscal implications
None.
Effective date
Immediately.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.