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NYC landlords sue Rent Guidelines Board over rent freeze
The lawsuit challenges a 7-1 Rent Guidelines Board vote to freeze rents for one- and two-year leases on rent-stabilized apartments.
Commercial Observer reports that a group of five small landlords filed a lawsuit in New York state court against the Rent Guidelines Board after the board approved a rent freeze for rent-stabilized apartments.
The landlords, operating through LLC Kenilworth Holdings, are challenging the board’s 7-1 vote from last month that froze rents for both one-year and two-year leases, and they argue the board used a “sham process.”
In the complaint, the landlords contend that Mayor Zohran Mamdani influenced the outcome, including by appointing Rent Guidelines Board members whom they say were predisposed to delivering a freeze, and that the board ignored evidence of rising landlord costs while manipulating data.
Commercial Observer also notes the lawsuit cites the resignation of Christina Smyth, a landlord representative and RGB member since 2022, who left her seat just hours before the June 25 vote and accused the board of disregarding the law to support Mamdani’s agenda.