Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg, Jr., said: “Our city is in the middle of a housing crisis which creates power imbalances between landlords and tenants. While many landlords play by the rules, there are unscrupulous individuals who seek to exploit the lack of affordable housing for financial gain. I created the Office’s first Tenant and Housing Protection Unit to address systemic harassment and other illegal activity, and our work has shown we need additional tools to prevent and deter this conduct from occurring. This new proposed legislation will create additional measures of accountability for those who systemically harass rent regulated tenants and create a deterrent to engage in this type of conduct. We must protect every unit of affordable housing, and I thank our legislative partners for their support on this critical issue.”

“As alleged, Meyer Chetrit waged a campaign of harassment against two rent-regulated tenants in their 70s in hopes they would move out, and the building could be sold,” said District Attorney Bragg. “From winters without heat and unrepaired roofs causing leaks and ceiling collapses, these New Yorkers were forced to live in uninhabitable conditions. This is exactly the type of pattern of criminal harassment my Office’s Housing and Tenant Protection Unit was created to stop. All New Yorkers deserve to live in safe homes – please contact our Housing and Tenant Protection Unit at 212-335-3300 or Danyhousing@dany.nyc.gov for help.”

“As alleged, Daniel Ohebshalom took advantage of rent-regulated tenants living in five Manhattan apartment buildings by creating dangerous living conditions in an effort to push them out. New Yorkers deserve to live in their apartments without fearing for their safety,” said District Attorney Bragg.