New Yorkers frustrated by mold, broken appliances, and hidden fees will have a chance to speak out as Mayor Zohran Mamdani launches a citywide Rental Ripoff hearing series. Officials will visit all five boroughs to collect renters’ accounts of issues such as unsafe construction, busted fridges, mold, and undisclosed charges. The first hearing is set for Thursday, Feb. 26, in Downtown Brooklyn, with the final session on Tuesday, April 7, on Staten Island’s North Shore. City leaders say the initiative aims to translate these complaints into stronger enforcement and concrete policy changes.
The hearings were created under Executive Order 08 to give tenants a direct line to senior city leaders, according to a press release from the NYC Mayor's Office. “You can’t fight for tenants without listening to them first,” Mamdani said in the announcement. The same release notes that New Yorkers will be able to give recorded testimony or sign up for one-on-one conversations with senior agency officials.
Dates and how to sign up
The hearings run from late February through early April: Feb. 26 in Downtown Brooklyn, March 5 in Long Island City in Queens and March 11 in Fordham in the Bronx. A longer Saturday session is planned for March 28 in East Harlem, and the final hearing is set for April 7 on Staten Island’s North Shore. New Yorkers can register to attend or pre-register in advance, and anyone who cannot make it in person can send written testimony by email to [email protected], according to amNewYork.
How testimony will be used
City officials say every submission will be reviewed and used to help shape the Mamdani administration’s upcoming housing plan, with a report proposing policy fixes to be published within 90 days of the final hearing, per the NYC Mayor's Office. Agency leaders, including HPD’s Dina Levy, DCWP Commissioner Sam Levine and Buildings Commissioner Ahmed Tigani, say the sessions are meant to sharpen enforcement, speed up repairs and crack down on predatory broker behavior and junk‑fee practices. HPD has also said participants will be able to meet one-on-one with commissioners and senior staff to raise specific repair or enforcement concerns.
Mixed reactions
The rollout has drawn a split response from tenant groups and landlords. Tenant advocates have welcomed the hearings as a rare opportunity for renters to put evidence directly in front of enforcement agencies, according to VINnews. Industry voices, including the New York Apartment Association and small-owner groups, have pushed back, calling the effort political theater and warning it could unfairly single out property owners, as reported by amNewYork.
Why it matters for renters
The hearings are part of a broader push by the new administration to crack down on junk fees and deceptive pricing in housing and other consumer markets. Earlier this year, Hoodline reported that Mamdani took aim at deceptive pricing as he rolled out related executive orders in January. City officials say the rental hearings are meant to turn familiar complaints into enforceable policy and clearer rules for renters and brokers alike.
Tenants who want to testify are encouraged to pick the borough session that works best for them and pre-register. Those dealing with immediate habitability or safety problems are still urged to file 311 complaints or reach out to tenant legal services while they prepare their testimony. For more specifics on times, locations and how to submit testimony, city officials direct New Yorkers to the registration page mentioned above and the mayor’s office release.
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