Velázquez Introduces Legislation to Crackdown on Dishonest Landlords
Washington, DC –Today, Rep. Nydia M. Velázquez (D-NY) introduced the Landlord Accountability Act of 2023, which aims to protect tenants, particularly those in the Section 8 program, from abuses by dishonest landlords.
First, the bill creates new violations under federal law for discrimination based upon a tenant’s source of income. Tenants would be able to seek remedies for discrimination under the Fair Housing Act against landlords who discriminate against tenants who receive income from: the Section 8 Program; any form of federal state, or local housing assistance program, including rental assistance, down payment assistance, homeowner assistance, or guarantees provided through government and nongovernment organizations; Social Security; spousal, child, or other court-ordered support; any payment from a trust, guardian, conservator, co-signer, or relative; and any other source of income or funds including saving accounts and investments.
The Landlord Accountability Act of 2023 would also fine landlords who take actions, or neglect to act, with the intention of disqualifying units from federal housing programs. Landlords could be fined up to $100,000 for violations and face a second set of fines of $50,000 with revenue going to aggrieved tenants.
The bill would also create new penalties for landlords who engage in the practice of “warehousing”. In recent years, an increasing number of landlords have intentionally kept rent-stabilized units off the market to encourage tenants to vacate or combine units and charge tenants higher rents. This practice drives up housing costs and fuels affordable housing scarcity in the city. Media reports have indicated that more than 88,000 affordable units went unrented across the city in 2021.
The bill would establish a civil monetary penalty if a landlord is found to be intentionally holding a unit, that is available to rent, vacant for a period of more than 60 days. Landlords would be assessed a monetary penalty in the amount of $100,000 for every 30 days that a unit is found to be intentionally left vacant, after the initial 60-day turnover period.
“Our city is in the midst of a housing affordability crisis which is being exacerbated by the unscrupulous practices of landlords across the city. Landlords that seek to make a profit by using their power to kick families and seniors out of Section 8 eligible housing must be stopped and held accountable,” said Congresswoman Velázquez. “I’m proud to have reintroduced this curial piece of legislation that will help tenants remain in their homes. Housing is a human right. New Yorkers access to a safe, decent, and affordable place to call home shouldn’t be jeopardized by greedy landlords.”
A PDF for the Landlord Accountability Act of 2023 can be found here.
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