Legislation that more clearly defines harassment
by landlords has been signed into law by Mayor Bloomberg.

City
Council Speaker Christine Quinn says the new legislation** lends tenants more
muscle in housing court.

Advocate
Benjamin Dulchin says the new law addresses new housing problems.

DULCHIN:
What you have now is not landlords who buy buildings with out understand the
social contract, which is, yeah you buy a building in New York City their
regulations and you need to respect those laws, but landlords buying buildings
with the sense that they can do what every they want to get around the laws or
to get rid of tenants.

REPORTER: A
spokesperson for the Rent Stabilization Association – a group representing
landlords – says the new law will lead to frivolous lawsuits that will clog the
courts.

The RSA
also says it’s looking into whether or not the new law is actually legal.

** Make the Road New York
has worked in coalition with the Association for Neighborhood and Housing
Development to spearhead the passage of this legislation.