Construction harassment is a serious problem. It makes life harder and more dangerous for tenants and landlords use it to push tenants out so they can raise the rent, sometimes so much that the unit is no longer rent-stabilized.
In 2017, the New York City Council passed several bills to reform the Department of Buildings (DOB) and hold landlords and contractors accountable for construction harassment. These new laws provide tenants with some powerful tools to advocate for themselves, but only if tenants are aware that they exist!
CUP teamed up with Stand for Tenant Safety (STS) and design studio L+L to create Is Your Landlord Using Construction to Harass You? in both Spanish and English. The guide helps rent-stabilized tenants who are targets of construction harassment understand what construction harassment is, what their rights are, and how to assert them. Part of understanding their rights includes things like looking out for the proper documentation of construction happening in their apartments, as well as holding landlords and contractors accountable for illegal practices like dangerous construction, construction during off-hours, and offering buy-outs. The guide also includes detailed information on how to take action if tenants experience construction harassment.
Thousands of copies of the guide in English and Spanish are being distributed by STS to tenants and housing advocates throughout the city.