Your landlord wants you out. Not because you did anything wrong — because they want to renovate, convert to condos, or charge five times your rent to someone else. The tools they use to push you out vary: cutting off heat, refusing repairs, sending threatening letters, scheduling construction at 7am on weekends, making unauthorized entries to your apartment. All of it is illegal. And in New York City, it carries real financial consequences for the landlord.
What Counts as Landlord Harassment Under NYC Law?
NYC Administrative Code §27-2005 and the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019 (HSTPA) define landlord harassment broadly. The following acts — when done with the intent to force a tenant to vacate — constitute illegal harassment:
- Interrupting or discontinuing essential services (heat, hot water, gas, electricity, elevator service)
- Failing to make repairs necessary to maintain habitable conditions
- Removing or threatening to remove the tenant's belongings
- Entering the apartment without at least 24 hours advance notice (except genuine emergencies)
- Removing doors, furniture, windows, or fixtures
- Sending threatening letters, making threatening calls, or otherwise threatening the tenant
- Bringing frivolous eviction proceedings
- Refusing to accept rent
- Engaging contractors who create excessive noise, dust, or vibration at unusual hours
- Removing or interfering with the tenant's mail
⚠️ Pattern Matters — Document Every Incident
A landlord who does one of these things once may claim it was a mistake. A landlord who cuts off heat three times, makes unauthorized entry twice, and sends a threatening letter is building a documented pattern of harassment. Courts and DHCR look at the totality of the landlord's conduct — which is why documentation of every incident is critical from day one.
The 24-Hour Notice Rule for Landlord Entry
Under NYC law (Real Property Law §235-b and the NYC Administrative Code), your landlord is not permitted to enter your apartment without providing at least 24 hours advance written notice and must enter only during reasonable hours (typically 9am-5pm weekdays). Exceptions exist for genuine emergencies — a burst pipe, a gas leak — where immediate entry is necessary to prevent harm.
A landlord who repeatedly enters without notice is violating your right to quiet enjoyment and the specific entry notice requirements. Each unauthorized entry is a separate, citable violation.
Heat Season Rights — October 1 Through May 31
During heat season, NYC landlords must maintain indoor temperatures of:
- 68°F between 6am and 10pm when outdoor temperature drops below 55°F
- 62°F between 10pm and 6am at all times
Every day without adequate heat is a violation. Call 311 every time your heat is inadequate. The 311 complaint creates a timestamped official record. When multiple 311 complaints appear for the same building across the same time period, it becomes powerful evidence in HP Actions and harassment cases — evidence that is independently created and cannot be disputed by the landlord.
📱 Create a Harassment Log
Start a document — on your phone or in a notebook — and record every incident of potential harassment: date, time, exactly what happened, who was present, and whether you have photos or texts. This contemporaneous record is dramatically more credible than recollections assembled months later for litigation.
What an HP Action Does — Fast
An HP Action is an emergency housing court proceeding brought by tenants to compel landlords to make repairs or stop harassment. It is filed in Housing Court — in the Bronx at 1118 Grand Concourse, in Brooklyn at 141 Livingston Street, in Manhattan at 111 Centre Street, in Queens at 89-17 Sutphin Boulevard, and in Staten Island at 67 Targee Street.
HP Actions move fast by housing court standards. After filing, the court can issue an order within days requiring the landlord to make specific repairs by a specific deadline. If the landlord fails to comply, they can be held in contempt of court. For harassment specifically, courts can issue restraining orders prohibiting further harassing conduct and imposing civil penalties.
Civil Penalties Under HSTPA 2019
The Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act significantly strengthened the financial consequences of landlord harassment. Under the HSTPA, courts can award civil penalties of:
- Between $2,000 and $10,000 per harassment violation
- Up to $15,000 per violation if the tenant is 65 or older, disabled, or has a child under 18
- Punitive damages in egregious cases
A landlord who has committed six harassment violations against a protected tenant — cutting heat twice, entering without notice twice, sending two threatening letters — faces up to $90,000 in civil penalties. These are not rare outcomes in cases with strong documentation.
The DHCR Route for Rent Stabilized Tenants
If your apartment is rent stabilized, you have an additional powerful option: filing a harassment complaint directly with the Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR). DHCR can find a landlord guilty of harassment, impose a penalty, and suspend the landlord's ability to collect rent increases. A DHCR harassment finding also creates a public record that affects the landlord's future dealings with the agency.
🏠 Facing Landlord Harassment in NYC? Call Cuz.
We handle landlord harassment cases across all five boroughs. We file HP Actions, DHCR complaints, and civil lawsuits for harassment damages. Most landlord harassment cases require urgent action — the sooner we are involved, the better we can protect your rights. Call (212) 300-3191, available 24/7.
Questions About Your Case?
Free consultation — 24/7. No fee unless we win. We serve all five NYC boroughs.
📞 Call (212) 300-3191 Now