Attorney General James Stops New York City Landlord Who Ignored Rent Stabilization Laws

September 28, 2026

NEW YORK - New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced the first settlement reached with a landlord as part of her office's compliance program focused on enforcing "de facto" rent stabilization in buildings throughout New York City. As part of the compliance program, the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) sent letters to more than 50 New York City landlords who owned buildings that were found to be de facto rent stabilized but had not been registered with New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR). In June 2026, Attorney General James filed a lawsuit against New York City landlord John Anderson for failing to register units in Brooklyn as rent-stabilized with HCR. Today, Attorney General James announced that Anderson will return all units in his Brooklyn apartment building to rent stabilization, provide rent-stabilized leases to all tenants, and fix any hazardous conditions in the building to ensure a safe environment for tenants.

"New York City's rent stabilization laws are clear, and my office will not hesitate to enforce them," said Attorney General James. "We created this compliance program to ensure that all New York City tenants are treated fairly and that all landlords are following the law. I am proud of the success this program has already shown, and I will continue to stand up for every New York tenant."

Buildings can be exempt from rent stabilization laws if a landlord can prove a building was built after 1974 or has fewer than six units. The buildings subject to OAG's compliance program were all found by a court or HCR to be subject to rent stabilization laws because a current or former landlord had added enough units to bring the total units in each building to six or more. Rent stabilization status remains even if the total units go below six, such as when the owner subsequently removes a newly added apartment. Since its launch in May 2025, OAG's de facto rent stabilization compliance program has successfully prevented 27 evictions and secured the return of 131 units to rent stabilization.

In August 2025, OAG sent the first of multiple compliance letters to Anderson, but Anderson failed to return his building's units to rent stabilization. In June 2026, Attorney General James filed a lawsuit against Anderson, alleging that for 10 years, Anderson failed to provide rent-stabilized leases to his tenants at 1075 Dean Street (1075 Dean) in Brooklyn. The OAG also alleged that in an attempt to continue flouting the law, Anderson lied about 1075 Dean's rent-stabilized status on an application with the New York City Department of Buildings (DOB) and even sent his friend to impersonate him in court. A tenant of 1075 Dean reported that Anderson harassed and retaliated against her after she asked for a rent-stabilized lease by cutting off her utilities, including gas, water, and electricity.

As a result of today's settlement, Anderson will return all units in his Brooklyn apartment building to rent stabilization and will provide rent-stabilized leases to all tenants. Anderson will also fix any hazardous conditions in the building to ensure a safe environment for tenants.

Through the de facto rent stabilization compliance program, OAG has successfully prevented 27 evictions and has compelled 30 landlords to certify that they have complied with the program, resulting in the return of 131 units to rent stabilization.

This is the latest action taken by Attorney General James to protect New York tenants. In September, Attorney General James stopped a Brooklyn real estate firm from illegally denying housing to prospective tenants based on housing court records. In July 2026, Attorney General James secured $23,500 in penalties and additional compensation for victims who were illegally evicted from their homes by a Brooklyn-based management company and its property manager by changing the locks on their apartment doors while they were not home. In June 2026, Attorney General James announced the first settlements with two banks and the first lawsuits against two New York City landlords reached under OAG's de facto compliance program focused on enforcing "de facto" rent stabilization in buildings throughout New York City. In May 2026, Attorney General James secured an agreement to close a predatory law firm for taking advantage of New York City tenants facing eviction. In March 2026, Attorney General James announced new protections for 25 low-income families who were forced out of their affordable housing units in Rochester. In February 2026, Attorney General James sued the owners and managers of an apartment complex in Orange County for leaving residents to endure horrific conditions.

This matter was handled by Assistant Attorney General Justin La Mort of the Housing Protection Unit, under the supervision of Unit Chief Brent Meltzer. The Housing Protection Unit is part of the Division for Social Justice, which is overseen by First Deputy Attorney General Meghan Faux.