Hours after taking office, NYC Mayor Mamdani targets landlords, moves to intervene in private bankruptcy case

Sworn in at midnight and again hours later publicly, New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani used his first day in office Thursday to hit the ground running with new executive orders targeting city landlords and housing development. And he said the city will take what he called "precedent-setting action" to intervene in a private landlord bankruptcy case he said was tied to 93 buildings.

"Today is the start of a new era for New York City," Mamdani said. "It is inauguration day. It is also the day that the rent is due."

Speaking at a Brooklyn apartment building, Mamdani framed the moves as an early test of whether city government will directly confront landlords over housing conditions and step into court cases that could determine whether tenants remain in their homes.

Mamdani said New Yorkers who attended his inauguration were returning to apartments where, he said, "bad landlords do not make repairs," rents rise and residents deal with issues like cockroaches and a lack of heat.

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The mayor said the new administration "will not wait to deliver action" and "will stand up on behalf of the tenants of this city."

Mamdani announced three housing-related executive orders, starting with the revival of the Mayor's Office to Protect Tenants, which he said will focus on resolving complaints and holding landlords accountable for hazardous conditions.

"We will make sure that 311 violations are resolved," Mamdani said, adding that the administration will hold "slumlords" accountable for "hazardous and dangerous threats" to tenant well-being.

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Mamdani said the second executive order creates a LIFT task force, or a land-inventory effort designed to leverage city-owned land and accelerate housing development. He said the task force will review city-owned properties and identify sites suitable for housing development no later than July 1.

The third executive order creates a SPEED task force, which Mamdani said stands for Streamlining Procedures to Expedite Equitable Development. He said the task force will work to remove permitting barriers that slow housing construction. 

Both task forces will be overseen by Deputy Mayor for Housing and Planning Lila Joseph, he said.

"These are sweeping measures, but it is just the beginning of a comprehensive effort to champion the cause of tenants," Mamdani said.

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Earlier in the day, Mamdani signed executive order No. 1, which revoked all prior mayoral executive orders under former Mayor Eric Adams issued on or after Sept. 26, 2024, unless they were specifically reissued by Mamdani's administration.

Mamdani signed a second executive order setting the structure of his administration, including five deputy mayors and their oversight responsibilities.

The mayor made the announcement at 85 Clarkson Ave., a rent-stabilized building he said is owned by Pinnacle Realty, which he described as a "notorious landlord." 

Mamdani said tenants in the building have dealt with issues, including roaches and a lack of heat.

Mamdani said the building is one of 93 properties connect to the same landlord, and the portfolio is in bankruptcy proceedings.

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The mayor said the buildings will be auctioned to a different landlord he claimed ranks No. 6 on New York City's worst landlord list, adding the buildings collectively have more than 5,000 open hazardous violations and 14,000 complaints.

"This is an untenable situation," Mamdani said. "So, today we are announcing that we will be taking action in the bankruptcy case and stepping in to represent the interests of the city and the interests of the tenants."

Mamdani said he directed his nominee for corporation counsel, Steve Banks, to take what he called "precedent-setting action" in the case.

"We are a creditor and interested party," Mamdani said, adding that the city is owed money and will fight for "safe and habitable homes" while working to "mitigate the significant risk of displacement" that tenants face.

A tenant speaker at the event described unsafe conditions in Pinnacle buildings and said a section of hardwood floor in the speaker's mother's apartment had remained unrepaired for seven years.

"When they filed for bankruptcy this spring, Pinnacle gambled on making our housing less affordable and our lives more miserable," the speaker said.

The mayor said the moves mark the start of a more aggressive use of executive power on housing issues, beginning on his first day in office.

Mamdani's office did not immediately respond to Fox News Digital's request for comment.