NEW YORK, NY – Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced Tuesday that New York City will host its first-ever Rental Ripoff Hearings — a five-borough series of public forums giving tenants the chance to speak directly with city leaders about unsafe housing conditions, hidden fees, and landlord misconduct.
The initiative, created under Executive Order 08, aims to connect renters with policymakers and strengthen tenant protections through firsthand testimony. Hearings will take place from late February through early April in Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island, allowing New Yorkers to share experiences ranging from broken elevators and mold to surprise broker fees and unresponsive landlords.
“You can’t fight for tenants without listening to them first,” Mayor Mamdani said in announcing the series. “What tenants share at these hearings won’t lead to empty promises. Their testimony will guide our work and shape the policies we advance to build a city New Yorkers can afford to call home.”
Deputy Mayor for Housing and Planning Leila Bozorg said the hearings represent a new level of transparency and public engagement. “Tenants will be able to speak directly with city officials so their experiences can shape real policy reforms,” she said.
City pledges action within 90 days of hearings
Officials from the city’s housing, consumer protection, and building departments will attend the events and meet one-on-one with residents. Among those participating are Cea Weaver, Director of the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants; Dina Levy, Commissioner of Housing Preservation and Development; Sam Levine, Commissioner of the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection; and Ahmed Tigani, Commissioner of the Department of Buildings.
“Broker fees, hidden charges, and other predatory practices are ripping off working New Yorkers and jacking up the cost of where they live,” Levine said. “These hearings are an important step toward holding landlords and brokers accountable.”
The Mamdani administration will have 90 days after the final hearing to publish a report outlining policy recommendations to combat exploitative rental practices. Officials say those findings will also inform the city’s forthcoming housing plan.
- Hearings will be held in all five boroughs between Feb. 26 and April 7
- Tenants can testify about unsafe housing, hidden fees, or landlord abuse
- The city will release a reform plan within 90 days of the final hearing
New Yorkers can register to attend at nyc.gov/RentalRipoff or email written testimony to RentalRipoff@cityhall.nyc.gov. The city says the hearings mark a major step toward rewriting tenant protections around affordability, safety, and accountability.