Key facts
- Landlords are suing to reverse a rent freeze impacting 1 million rent-stabilized apartments.
- The lawsuit claims Mayor Mamdani influenced the rent board with loyalists and city funds.
- Landlord representatives allege the board's independence was compromised before a vote.
- The board's data indicated landlord costs rose 5.3% while incomes increased 6.2%.
Landlords have initiated legal action to challenge a rent freeze affecting approximately 1 million rent-stabilized apartments. The lawsuit contends that Mayor Mamdani, who had campaigned on a promise to freeze rents, improperly influenced the city's rent board after taking office. According to the complaint, the mayor appointed loyalists to the board and used city funds to ensure tenant advocates were present at hearings. The landlords' legal team, which includes former deputy mayor Randy Mastro, argues that a special briefing from City Hall representatives compromised the board's independence and signaled the mayor's expectations. One landlord representative, Christina Smyth, resigned from the board shortly before the vote, stating the board had crossed a "legal line." Data from the board indicated that while landlord costs increased by 5.3 percent this year, landlord incomes saw a rise of 6.2 percent.