Mamdani plan would force landlords to pay for credit checks as activist rails that eviction is violence

Mayor Zohran Mamdani is backing a proposal that would force New York City landlords to pick up the tab for tenant credit checks.The recommendation, outlined in his administration’s new Rental Ripoff Report, would bar owners from charging applicants for credit reports and instead require landlords or their brokers to pay any screening costs.“This can be an insurmountable barrier for rent-burdened tenants – defined as those paying at least 30% of their income toward rent – and especially those exiting shelter or receiving rental assistance,” the report said.The report was unveiled at a press conference where a masked tenant activist called evictions “violence.”Mamdani’s plan is to have DCWP work with the City Council on new legislation that would stipulate landlords could require either a credit check — paid for by the landlord or broker — or proof that an applicant’s income meets the common 40-times-the-rent standard, but not both.The report argued the shift would cut down on redundant paperwork and out-of-pocket costs for renters.The 68-page report laid out an ambitious slate of tenant-focused proposals, including legally recognizing tenant unions, directing HPD to investigate every heat complaint citywide and requiring landlords to disclose any AI-generated or digitally altered images and videos in rental listings so applicants are not misled by doctored apartments.The report’s ideas came from “Rental Ripoff Hearings” where 2,300 of tenants across the five boroughs detailed housing conditions, fees and landlord practices they wanted City Hall to change.Mamdani signaled that his team is already working to line up legislative support for the ideas in the report.“We are speaking to our partners, whether it be those who serve in the City Council or beyond that, about the importance of…ensuring that we are finally bringing the kinds of tenant protections that this city should have brought years ago,” Mamdani told reporters Thursday at a...