Tenants of rundown Brooklyn apartment building sue landlord

Legally, New York City tenants have a right to live in a building and individual unit that is free of unsafe and hazardous conditions and materials. Despite the laws that govern the contractual obligations of landlords within the city, some building owners and landlords blatantly disregard the complaints of tenants and fail to maintain and repair the properties they own.

For residents at one Brooklyn six-plex, their landlord’s lack of concern for the safety and health of tenants has landed him on the city’s landlord watch list. Currently, the Department of Housing Preservation and Development lists a total of 184 open violations that have been filed with the city against the delinquent landlord.

For residents at the Brooklyn apartment building; holes in walls and ceilings, brown dripping water, cock roaches and broken stairway banisters are common sites. Additionally, tenants report not having hot water or heat for weeks at a time, “exposed electrical wiring” and a faulty front door lock that leaves tenants at risk for being robbed or assaulted in their own apartments.

In addition to failing to address the serious health and safety concerns posed by building occupants and allowing the building to fall into disrepair, tenants insist the landlord has also raised rent. In response to the landlord’s negligent actions, four tenants have filed a lawsuit charging the landlord is responsible for the “poor conditions and lack of repairs,” in addition to the illegal rent hikes.

New York City tenants who have questions or concerns about a landlord’s actions with regard to the maintenance and repair of a premise, can turn to an attorney for advice and assistance.

Source: DNA Info, “East New York Tenants Protest Living Conditions in Lawsuit Against Landlord,” Camille Bautista, Aug. 28, 2015