What's happening
This bill makes it a felony for landlords to intentionally or recklessly damage rent-regulated apartments to force tenants out.
Why it matters
Targets deliberate or reckless landlord misconduct. The bill criminalizes not just intentional sabotage, but also reckless actions by landlords or their agents that damage rent-regulated apartments, raising the legal stakes for neglect or harmful conduct.
Protects vulnerable tenants. By focusing on rent-regulated accommodations, the bill aims to safeguard tenants who rely on these protections to avoid displacement and unaffordable rent increases, addressing a key pressure point in New York’s housing market.
Introduces significant penalties. Classifying such sabotage as a class D felony means convicted landlords could face prison time and substantial fines, creating a strong deterrent against using harassment or property damage as a tactic to force tenants out.
Shifts landlord-tenant power dynamics. The new law gives tenants greater legal recourse and may promote better landlord behavior, as the risk of criminal prosecution raises the consequences for trying to circumvent rent regulations through destructive means.
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Who cares
Rent-regulated tenants
The bill would make damaging their housing or associated utilities to drive them out a class D felony when the specified intent or recklessness requirements are met.
Owners of rent-regulated housing
Owners could face felony liability for qualifying damage caused by themselves or agents acting under their instructions or contracts with the intent to make a tenant vacate.
Property managers and contractors
Damage they cause while acting under an owner's instructions or contract could form the basis of the owner's sabotage offense.
Prosecutors
The bill would create a specific felony charge for sabotage intended to drive rent-regulated tenants from their homes.
Headline styles
Criminalize Rent Sabotage
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
1 Co-sponsor
History
- Referred to codes
- Referred to codes
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
2090
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 22, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. LENTOL, DAVILA -- read once and referred 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.
LBD04496-01-9
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.