SUBSCRIBE TO OUR FREE NEWSLETTER
Daily news & progressive opinion—funded by the people, not the corporations—delivered straight to your inbox.
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
5
#000000
#FFFFFF
New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announces a series of new policy moves involving public health and taxes on February 3, 2026 in New York City.
(Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
Targeting 'Bad Landlords,' Mamdani Invites New Yorkers to Testify at 'Rental Ripoff' Hearings
“What tenants share at these hearings won’t lead to empty promises," said the mayor. "Their testimony will guide our work and help shape the policies we advance to build a city New Yorkers can afford to call their home.”
Feb 10, 2026
After delivering on his promise of universal childcare for New York families, launching a process to ramp up construction of affordable housing, and personally seeing to snow removal after a major storm and the repair of a road hazard that's long plagued cyclists, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Tuesday made strides toward fulfilling another campaign pledge: cracking down on "bad landlords."
The effort will involve active participation from residents across the city, whom Mamdani invited to testify at "Rental Ripoff" hearings set to begin later this month in the five boroughs.
“You can’t fight for tenants without listening to them first. That’s why we’re launching Rental Ripoff Hearings in all five boroughs—bringing together renters to speak directly about what they’re facing, from hidden fees to broken tiles and unresponsive landlords,” Mamdani, a democratic socialist, said in a statement.
On social media, Mamdani said the hearings will give New Yorkers "a chance to tell the city EXACTLY what your landlord’s been getting away with" and will help his government to enact "real policy changes."
People who testify will have the opportunity to meet one-on-one with officials from City Hall, "including commissioners from the city’s housing and consumer protection agencies, to help shape future policy," according to the BK Reader.
The city website urges residents to testify about challenges including "getting issues in their homes addressed" and "rental junk fees," like fees for certain amenities, pets, services, and rental payment systems.
The dates of the hearings were announced five weeks after Mamdani signed Executive Order 08, which stipulates that city agencies will publish a report 90 days after the final hearing—scheduled for April 7 in Staten Island—with recommendations for policy changes and action plans.
Kenny Burgos, CEO of the New York Apartment Association (NYAA), which represents apartment building owners and property managers, quickly denounced the planned hearings as "show trials" and "a distraction."
Burgos claimed the NYAA believes that "renters with complaints should have their voices heard," but suggested landlords have little ability to respond to complaints because "thousands of buildings are being defunded by the government through overtaxation, nonsensical rent laws, and failing city agencies.”
Mamdani has argued that "the problems tenants deal with every day need to become real problems for landlords, too" and has called for the doubling of fines for hazardous housing violations.
“What tenants share at these hearings won’t lead to empty promises," said Mamdani on Tuesday. "Their testimony will guide our work and help shape the policies we advance to build a city New Yorkers can afford to call their home.”
An Urgent Message From Our Co-Founder
Dear Common Dreams reader, It’s been nearly 30 years since I co-founded Common Dreams with my late wife, Lina Newhouser. We had the radical notion that journalism should serve the public good, not corporate profits. It was clear to us from the outset what it would take to build such a project. No paid advertisements. No corporate sponsors. No millionaire publisher telling us what to think or do. Many people said we wouldn't last a year, but we proved those doubters wrong. Together with a tremendous team of journalists and dedicated staff, we built an independent media outlet free from the constraints of profits and corporate control. Our mission has always been simple: To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. Building Common Dreams was not easy. Our survival was never guaranteed. When you take on the most powerful forces—Wall Street greed, fossil fuel industry destruction, Big Tech lobbyists, and uber-rich oligarchs who have spent billions upon billions rigging the economy and democracy in their favor—the only bulwark you have is supporters who believe in your work. But here’s the urgent message from me today. It's never been this bad out there. And it's never been this hard to keep us going. At the very moment Common Dreams is most needed, the threats we face are intensifying. We need your support now more than ever. We don't accept corporate advertising and never will. We don't have a paywall because we don't think people should be blocked from critical news based on their ability to pay. Everything we do is funded by the donations of readers like you. When everyone does the little they can afford, we are strong. But if that support retreats or dries up, so do we. Will you donate now to make sure Common Dreams not only survives but thrives? —Craig Brown, Co-founder |
Our work is licensed under Creative Commons (CC BY-NC-ND 3.0). Feel free to republish and share widely.
After delivering on his promise of universal childcare for New York families, launching a process to ramp up construction of affordable housing, and personally seeing to snow removal after a major storm and the repair of a road hazard that's long plagued cyclists, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Tuesday made strides toward fulfilling another campaign pledge: cracking down on "bad landlords."
The effort will involve active participation from residents across the city, whom Mamdani invited to testify at "Rental Ripoff" hearings set to begin later this month in the five boroughs.
“You can’t fight for tenants without listening to them first. That’s why we’re launching Rental Ripoff Hearings in all five boroughs—bringing together renters to speak directly about what they’re facing, from hidden fees to broken tiles and unresponsive landlords,” Mamdani, a democratic socialist, said in a statement.
On social media, Mamdani said the hearings will give New Yorkers "a chance to tell the city EXACTLY what your landlord’s been getting away with" and will help his government to enact "real policy changes."
People who testify will have the opportunity to meet one-on-one with officials from City Hall, "including commissioners from the city’s housing and consumer protection agencies, to help shape future policy," according to the BK Reader.
The city website urges residents to testify about challenges including "getting issues in their homes addressed" and "rental junk fees," like fees for certain amenities, pets, services, and rental payment systems.
The dates of the hearings were announced five weeks after Mamdani signed Executive Order 08, which stipulates that city agencies will publish a report 90 days after the final hearing—scheduled for April 7 in Staten Island—with recommendations for policy changes and action plans.
Kenny Burgos, CEO of the New York Apartment Association (NYAA), which represents apartment building owners and property managers, quickly denounced the planned hearings as "show trials" and "a distraction."
Burgos claimed the NYAA believes that "renters with complaints should have their voices heard," but suggested landlords have little ability to respond to complaints because "thousands of buildings are being defunded by the government through overtaxation, nonsensical rent laws, and failing city agencies.”
Mamdani has argued that "the problems tenants deal with every day need to become real problems for landlords, too" and has called for the doubling of fines for hazardous housing violations.
“What tenants share at these hearings won’t lead to empty promises," said Mamdani on Tuesday. "Their testimony will guide our work and help shape the policies we advance to build a city New Yorkers can afford to call their home.”
From Your Site Articles
- Progressive Economists Say Mamdani Offers Antidote to Failed NYC Austerity Policies ›
- A Win for Mamdani Is a Win for Renters Everywhere ›
- Please Note: Zohran Mamdani’s Proposals Are Surprisingly Affordable ›
Related Articles Around the Web
After delivering on his promise of universal childcare for New York families, launching a process to ramp up construction of affordable housing, and personally seeing to snow removal after a major storm and the repair of a road hazard that's long plagued cyclists, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani on Tuesday made strides toward fulfilling another campaign pledge: cracking down on "bad landlords."
The effort will involve active participation from residents across the city, whom Mamdani invited to testify at "Rental Ripoff" hearings set to begin later this month in the five boroughs.
“You can’t fight for tenants without listening to them first. That’s why we’re launching Rental Ripoff Hearings in all five boroughs—bringing together renters to speak directly about what they’re facing, from hidden fees to broken tiles and unresponsive landlords,” Mamdani, a democratic socialist, said in a statement.
On social media, Mamdani said the hearings will give New Yorkers "a chance to tell the city EXACTLY what your landlord’s been getting away with" and will help his government to enact "real policy changes."
People who testify will have the opportunity to meet one-on-one with officials from City Hall, "including commissioners from the city’s housing and consumer protection agencies, to help shape future policy," according to the BK Reader.
The city website urges residents to testify about challenges including "getting issues in their homes addressed" and "rental junk fees," like fees for certain amenities, pets, services, and rental payment systems.
The dates of the hearings were announced five weeks after Mamdani signed Executive Order 08, which stipulates that city agencies will publish a report 90 days after the final hearing—scheduled for April 7 in Staten Island—with recommendations for policy changes and action plans.
Kenny Burgos, CEO of the New York Apartment Association (NYAA), which represents apartment building owners and property managers, quickly denounced the planned hearings as "show trials" and "a distraction."
Burgos claimed the NYAA believes that "renters with complaints should have their voices heard," but suggested landlords have little ability to respond to complaints because "thousands of buildings are being defunded by the government through overtaxation, nonsensical rent laws, and failing city agencies.”
Mamdani has argued that "the problems tenants deal with every day need to become real problems for landlords, too" and has called for the doubling of fines for hazardous housing violations.
“What tenants share at these hearings won’t lead to empty promises," said Mamdani on Tuesday. "Their testimony will guide our work and help shape the policies we advance to build a city New Yorkers can afford to call their home.”
From Your Site Articles
- Progressive Economists Say Mamdani Offers Antidote to Failed NYC Austerity Policies ›
- A Win for Mamdani Is a Win for Renters Everywhere ›
- Please Note: Zohran Mamdani’s Proposals Are Surprisingly Affordable ›
Related Articles Around the Web
We've had enough. The 1% own and operate the corporate media. They are doing everything they can to defend the status quo, squash dissent and protect the wealthy and the powerful. The Common Dreams media model is different. We cover the news that matters to the 99%. Our mission? To inform. To inspire. To ignite change for the common good. How? Nonprofit. Independent. Reader-supported. Free to read. Free to republish. Free to share. With no advertising. No paywalls. No selling of your data. Thousands of small donations fund our newsroom and allow us to continue publishing. Can you chip in? We can't do it without you. Thank you.