New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced Sunday that his administration will hold a series of public “Rental Ripoff” hearings across all five boroughs, aimed at confronting what he called abusive and unfair practices in the city’s rental housing market.
Mamdani signed an executive order directing his newly created Office of Mass Engagement, alongside other city agencies, to organize the hearings within his first 100 days in office.
The hearings will allow tenants from the Bronx, Brooklyn, Manhattan, Queens and Staten Island to testify about their experiences as renters, including unsafe building conditions, excessive fees and rising housing costs, according to the mayor’s office.
“Too many New Yorkers have been forced to pay more for less, living in unsafe, unconscionable, and unaffordable housing,” Mamdani said at a news conference in the Bronx. “Under my administration, that ends. Today’s executive order is the first step towards giving New Yorkers a voice in addressing the housing crisis that is pricing them out of our city.”
City officials said the administration will release a detailed public report summarizing the hearings, highlighting recurring issues raised by tenants and identifying areas for potential policy action. Additional information about the hearings will be posted on the city’s official website.
Alongside the announcement, Mamdani appointed Dina Levy as commissioner of the Department of Housing Preservation and Development.
“Levy is an experienced and fearless housing leader, and I know that she will fight to protect tenants and tackle our housing crisis head-on,” Mamdani said.
Levy said she looked forward to working closely with residents and city staff.
“It is my honor to join forces with tenants, homeowners, and dedicated public servants at HPD as we work to usher in a new era of quality and affordability for all,” she said.
Levy previously served in a senior leadership role at the New York Division of Housing and Community Renewal, the state agency overseeing affordable housing programs.
