Report Tenant Harassment - HPD

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Report Tenant Harassment


Report Tenant Harassment

Harassment by an owner or landlord is illegal. Learn more about tenant harassment and examples of actions that may constitute harassment.

If you believe you have experienced harassment, you can get information and help.

New York City Tenant Protection Hotline

If you are a resident in one of the following zip codes (which have been identified as areas with an increase in reports of harassment), call the New York City Tenant Protection Hotline at 917-661-4505, Monday-Friday from 10:00am-4:00pm:

Bronx: 10452, 10453, 10457, 10459, 10460
Brooklyn: 11206, 11207, 11208, 11212, 11215, 11217, 11231, 11233, 11237
Manhattan: 10029, 10034, 10035
Queens: 11101, 11354, 11358, 11691, 11692
Staten Island: 10301, 10304

Seek Legal Assistance

Tenants can initiate an action in Housing Court based on a claim of harassment.

Free legal assistance is available to low-income tenants who are being harassed by property owners. Residents can call the following legal service providers for more information:

Legal Aid Society: 212-577-3300

Legal Services NYC: 917-661-4500

Urban Justice Center: 646-459-3017

How HPD Can Help

A property owner's failure to correct dangerous conditions and/or frequent disruptions of or failure to supply water, heat, gas, or electric service may constitute harassment. HPD's Anti-Harassment Unit (AHU) receives referrals from the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants (MOPT). If you believe that the owner of your building is withholding essential services or not making repairs to force you to move out of your apartment, contact the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants (MOPT) by calling 311.

HPD also performs joint inspections of buildings with multiple City and State agencies through the Tenant Harassment Prevention Task Force (THPT).

Rent Regulated Apartments

In buildings with rent-controlled or rent-stabilized apartments, tenants who believe their building owners are harassing them can contact the New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) or call 718-739-6400. HCR enforces the housing laws regarding such rent-regulated apartments.

Tenant Harassment Prevention Task Force

The Tenant Harassment Prevention Task Force (THPT) was created to investigate and bring enforcement actions - including criminal charges - against landlords who harass tenants by creating unsafe living conditions through illegal construction. The THPT primarily handles matters that impact a large number of rent regulated tenants where actions by an owner may rise to criminality.

The TPHT aims to coordinate City and State agencies for joint inspections, enforcement actions, and litigation strategies to intervene in buildings where harassment may be occurring in order to prevent tenants from being forced out. The THPT will look at complaints filed with City agencies about conditions constituting harassment, among other data. Therefore, it is important that you use 311 and other regular channels to file complaints with City and State agencies about conditions in your building. As needed, the THPT may conduct joint inspections, issue violations and orders, and initiate additional enforcement action with the Attorney General’s office, the District Attorney’s office, and the NYC Homes and Community Renewals’ Tenant Protection Unit.

You can file a complaint directly with the THPT by sending an email to THPT@hpd.nyc.gov. Due to the large volume of correspondence that the THPT receives, we are not able to respond to every inquiry. If we are able to further investigate your inquiry, we will contact you.