How Do I Research My Landlord?

In New York’s Housing Court, knowledge is power. The more information you have about your building, and the more advice you seek, the better prepared you will be. It is always a good idea to do a little detective work about your apartment, your building, and your landlord, right at the beginning. You may find that you have a powerful defense that can get the landlord’s case dismissed, or a counterclaim that allows you to get a money judgment.against your landlord.

Before you visit a housing clinic or tenant attorney, you should make these three stops:

Division of Housing and Community Renewal, 25 Beaver Street, Manhattan

For rent stabilized tenants only. Bring your lease or proof of address and get a rent history. This will indicate whether you are being illegally overcharged, and will reveal other juicy facts. A tenant being overcharged could possibly sue a landlord for thousands in damages.

Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), 100 Gold Street, Manhattan

Pay $8.00 and get a copy of your Multiple Dwelling Registration. This registration indicates who is the true owner of your building. A defective registration (or failure to register) will result in the dismissal of your landlord’s eviction suit. While you are there, get a printout of all housing code violations, which will indicate any history of bad conditions in the apartment.

Department of Buildings, 280 Broadway, Manhattan

Bring proof of address and request a certificate of occupancy. If there is no certificate of occupancy for your building, find out why not. (The housing court dismisses all rent cases against tenants living in post-1925 buildings if the certificate of occupancy is missing.)