NYC Will Hold Citywide 'Rental Ripoff' Hearings, Hear Tenants' Complaints

NEW YORK CITY — New York City tenants will get the opportunity to have their voices heard on a number of housing issues, from poor building conditions to hidden fees on rent payments, as part of planned hearings citywide.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani has said the city will hold "Rental Ripoff" hearings with tenants across the five boroughs, where they will be to speak about the challenges they face. From there, the Mamdani administration will publish a summary and report detailing common themes and areas of opportunity, and the testimony shared at these hearings will directly inform policy interventions to take on rip-off tactics.

On Sunday, Mamdani signed an executive order directing the new Office of Mass Engagement and other city agencies to hold the hearings within his first 100 days in office.

"Too many New Yorkers have been forced to pay more for less — living in unsafe, unconscionable, and unaffordable housing. Under my administration, that ends. [The] executive order is the first step towards giving New Yorkers a voice in addressing the housing crisis that is pricing them out of our city," Mamdani said at a press conference in the Bronx on Sunday.

In addition to the executive order, Mamdani appointed Dina Levy as Commissioner of the Department of Housing Preservation & Development (HPD). Levy will be tasked with executing the Mamdani administration’s housing agenda, including preserving rent-stabilized housing, financing and constructing new affordable housing, connecting New Yorkers to housing, and ensuring the habitability of all homes in New York.

“I am honored to join the Mamdani administration, and especially honored to join the team working to make New York City an affordable place to live. My experience as a community organizer has shaped my work in public service and will continue to be my inspiration in the work ahead at HPD,” Levy said. “It is my honor to join forces with tenants, homeowners, and dedicated public servants at HPD as we work to usher in a new era of quality and affordability for all.”

More details about the hearings are available at nyc.gov/RentalRipoff.