Landlord harassment in NYC: your rights and how to fight back

If your landlord is making your life miserable to try to push you out — shutting off the heat, "forgetting" to make repairs, filing case after case against you, showing up unannounced, or leaning on you to take a buyout — take a breath. In New York City, that behavior has a legal name: tenant harassment, and it is illegal. You do not have to move. You have real rights, the city has agencies built to enforce them, and you can bring your landlord to court and win money penalties without hiring an expensive lawyer. This guide explains exactly what counts as harassment, what the law says, and the concrete steps to fight back and stay in your home.

What the law says

New York City has one of the strongest tenant-harassment laws in the country. Under the NYC Housing Maintenance Code (Administrative Code §27-2004 and §27-2005), "harassment" means any act or omission by a landlord that is intended to make you give up your home or your legal rights. The law spells out specific conduct that counts, including:

• Using force, threats, or intimidation.
• Repeatedly interrupting or stopping essential services — heat, hot water, gas, electricity, or needed repairs.
• Filing baseless court cases (frivolous lawsuits) meant to harass you.
• Removing your belongings, or taking off a door or lock.
• Contacting you repeatedly with buyout offers after you have asked, in writing, for them to stop — or lying to you to get you to accept a buyout.
• Doing construction or repairs in a way designed to make the unit unlivable while you are there.
• Threatening you based on immigration status, source of income, or other protected traits.

Because it is written into the Housing Maintenance Code, harassment is treated as a serious housing violation. A tenant can bring a case in Housing Court asking the judge to order the landlord to stop and to impose civil penalties — currently $2,000 to $10,000 per violation, and higher for repeat offenders. The court can also order the landlord to fix conditions and, in some cases, award you damages. Rent-regulated tenants get an added layer of protection from the NYS Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) Tenant Protection Unit (TPU), which investigates landlords who harass regulated tenants and can pursue penalties directly.

New York also protects you from retaliation. Under Real Property Law §223-b, a landlord cannot punish you — by raising your rent, refusing to renew, or trying to evict you — because you complained about conditions, called 311, or joined a tenants' association. If they try to evict you within a year of your complaint, the law presumes it is retaliation and puts the burden on them to prove otherwise.

What to do — step by step

1. Document everything. Harassment cases are won on evidence. Take dated photos and videos of conditions (no heat, broken locks, construction debris). Keep every text, email, letter, and notice. Save voicemails. Write down each incident in a simple log — date, time, what happened, who was there. This paper trail is the single most powerful thing you can build.
2. Keep a harassment log. A notebook or phone note with one line per incident is enough. Note dates services were off, missed repair appointments, unwanted visits, and every buyout contact. Patterns over time are what prove intent to push you out.
3. Notify your landlord in writing. Ask for repairs or for the behavior to stop by email or letter, and keep a copy. If you are getting buyout offers you don't want, send a written notice telling them to stop contacting you — after that, continued offers are themselves illegal harassment.
4. Call 311 and file complaints. Report loss of heat, hot water, or repairs to 311 or online. This creates an official HPD record, triggers an inspection, and puts violations on the building's file — evidence you will use later. For loss of essential services, HPD can act quickly.
5. File a formal complaint with the right agency. For conditions and harassment citywide, go to HPD. If you are rent-stabilized or rent-controlled, also file with HCR's Tenant Protection Unit. If the harassment is discrimination (source of income, race, disability, immigration status), file with the NYC Commission on Human Rights.
6. Get free legal help. New York City has a Right to Counsel program — many tenants facing housing court get a free lawyer. Reach out before you are in crisis (see the help list below). A tenant attorney can tell you in minutes whether you have a strong harassment case.
7. Bring a Housing Court harassment case (HP action). You can file an HP proceeding yourself at the Housing Part of Civil Court in your borough, asking the judge to order repairs and to find harassment. There is no filing fee for a tenant HP action for repairs, and the clerk's office (Housing Court Answers) will help you fill out the paperwork. If the judge finds harassment, the landlord faces the civil penalties above and a court order to stop.
8. Do not move out or sign anything under pressure. Never sign a buyout agreement or surrender your keys without talking to a lawyer first. Once you understand your rights, most pressure loses its power.

Who to contact and what they do

Problem	Who to contact	What they can do
No heat, hot water, or repairs	311 / HPD	Send an inspector, issue violations, order emergency repairs.
Threats, intimidation, buyout badgering, construction as harassment	HPD + Housing Court (HP action)	Court order to stop; civil penalties of $2,000–$10,000+ per violation.
You are rent-stabilized or rent-controlled	HCR Tenant Protection Unit	Investigate the landlord and pursue penalties for regulated units.
Discrimination (source of income, race, disability, immigration)	NYC Commission on Human Rights	Investigate, mediate, and impose fines for illegal discrimination.
Illegal lockout or utility shutoff happening now	311 (or 911)	Police/HPD can order the landlord to restore access and services immediately.
You need a free lawyer or help with court papers	Housing Court Answers / legal aid	Free advice, Right to Counsel, help filing an HP action.

Where to get free help

• NYC 311 — report no heat/hot water, missing repairs, or a lockout. Call 311 or visit portal.311.nyc.gov.
• HPD (Housing Preservation & Development) — file conditions and harassment complaints: nyc.gov/site/hpd.
• NYS HCR Tenant Protection Unit — for rent-regulated tenants: hcr.ny.gov.
• Housing Court Answers — free help filing an HP action and understanding your case: cwtfhc.org or call the hotline listed on their site.
• NYC Commission on Human Rights — for discrimination and source-of-income harassment: nyc.gov/site/cchr.
• NYC Tenant Helpline / HRA legal services — free legal help and Right to Counsel: nyc.gov/site/hra.
• NYS Attorney General — tenant rights and enforcement: ag.ny.gov.

Not sure who your landlord even is, or who really owns the building? That matters for filing complaints. Our who owns my building tool can help you find the responsible owner and managing agent.

Frequently asked questions

What counts as landlord harassment in NYC?

Harassment is any act or omission by your landlord meant to force you out or make you give up your rights. That includes threats, cutting off heat or hot water, ignoring repairs, filing baseless lawsuits, repeated unwanted buyout offers after you asked them to stop, and disruptive construction. It does not have to be violent — a pattern of "small" tactics designed to wear you down is harassment under NYC Admin Code §27-2005.

Can my landlord keep pressuring me to take a buyout?

No. Buyouts are legal, but the badgering is not. Once you tell your landlord in writing to stop contacting you about a buyout, they must stop — and continuing counts as harassment. It is also illegal for them to lie or use threats to get you to accept one. You are never required to take a buyout, and you should talk to a tenant lawyer before signing anything.

Is disruptive construction considered harassment?

It can be. Landlords are allowed to make repairs, but doing construction in a way that is designed to make your unit unlivable — cutting services, leaving hazards, or dragging out work to push you out — is a recognized form of harassment. Document the conditions, report them to 311/HPD, and keep records of how the work affects your daily life.

Can my landlord evict me for complaining?

No — that is illegal retaliation. Under Real Property Law §223-b, a landlord cannot raise your rent, refuse to renew, or try to evict you because you complained about conditions, called 311, or organized with other tenants. If they try within a year of your complaint, the law presumes retaliation and they have to prove a legitimate reason.

What penalties does a landlord face for harassment?

If a Housing Court judge finds harassment, the landlord can be ordered to pay civil penalties of $2,000 to $10,000 per violation, with higher amounts for repeat offenders, plus a court order to stop the behavior and fix conditions. Rent-regulated tenants can also have HCR's Tenant Protection Unit pursue the landlord separately.

How do I prove harassment if it is just my word against theirs?

You build a record. Dated photos, videos, texts, emails, 311 complaint numbers, HPD violation records, and a simple written log of each incident add up to a pattern that is hard to deny. Official complaints create timestamps you can't fake, which is exactly why filing with 311 and HPD early is so important — even before you go to court.

Official sources

• NYC Department of Housing Preservation & Development (HPD) — harassment and conditions complaints.
• NYS Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) — Tenant Protection Unit and rent-regulation rights.
• NYC Commission on Human Rights — housing discrimination enforcement.
• NYC HRA — Legal Services for Tenants — free legal help and Right to Counsel.
• NYC Housing Court — how to file an HP action and other tenant proceedings.
• New York State Attorney General — tenants' rights and enforcement.

Want to know your broader rights as a renter here? Start with our overview of NYC renter rights, and if your landlord is discriminating based on how you pay rent, read source-of-income rights in NYC. For letters you can adapt to notify your landlord in writing, see our free templates, or browse all our renter guides.

This guide is educational information, not legal advice. Facts current as of July 2026; laws change — verify with the official sources above, and for your specific situation talk to a tenant attorney or legal-aid group (many are free).