Resources for Tenants

Know Your Rights:

• Tenants’ Rights & Responsibilities, Housing Preservation and Development 
• The ABCs of Housing, Housing Preservation and Development (available in multiple languages)
• Tenants’ Rights & Protections in New York State, NY State Assembly Speaker’s Office
• Tenants’ Rights Telephone Hotline, Met Council on Housing
  • 212-979-0611 (check website for hours) 
• Statutory Rights of Residents Tenants in New York, Met Council on Housing
• “Repairs & Maintenance FAQ,” Rent Guidelines Board
• Know Your Rights, TenantHelpNY

Looking for Affordable housing?

Visit NYC Housing Connect (NYC) or NYHousingSearch.gov (NY State) to find and apply for affordable rental and homeownership opportunities. You can find more information about how to apply at this website. 

Neighborhood Tenant Organizations:

Flatbush Tenant Coalition

• A member-led group of tenant associations working to build tenant power and improve the lives of tenants so families have safe, decent, and affordable housing. FTC organizes and supports tenant associations and develops tenant leaders.
  • (718) 635-2623
  • flatbushpower@gmail.com

Brooklyn Housing & Family Services

• Brooklyn Housing & Family Services helps residents of Brooklyn solve their housing problems, protects families, and prevents homelessness through stabilizing and preserving existing housing stock and defending the rights of minority, elderly, low-income, and immigrant tenants.
  • 718-435-7585
  • Contact form

Fifth Avenue Committee

• Fifth Avenue Committee works to advance economic, social and racial justice in NYC through community centered affordable housing, grassroots organizing, policy advocacy, transformative education, training, and services.
  • 718-237-2017
  •  fac@fifthave.org 

Churches United for Fair Housing (CUFFH)

• CUFFH is a grassroots advocacy organization that provides affordable housing services and integrated social resources. Provides one-on-one application assistance including information and training needed to obtain affordable housing, as well as referrals for services including credit repair, tenants rights, legal support and more.
  • Book an appointment

Additional Organizations:

Met Council on Housing

Association for Neighborhood and Housing Development

Housing First!

Tenants & Neighbors

Cypress Hills Local Development Corporation

Housing Justice for All

City Resources

New York City Tenant Resource Portal

• The city has created a tenant resource portal to provide residents facing eviction and other problems with resources to stabilize their housing situation. 

Freeze Your Rent (SCRIE and DRIE)

• The NYC Rent Freeze Program, which includes the Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption (SCRIE) and Disability Rent Increase Exemption (DRIE) Programs, helps eligible residents stay in affordable housing by freezing their rent. Property tax credits cover the difference between the actual rent amount dn what the tenant is responsible for paying

Resources/Databases:

Who Owns What?

• Use this website to find out who owns your building,  how many units there are, how many violations your building has, and link to building documents. A great resource to start your search

Displacement Alert Portal by ANHD

• Use this portal to find out information about your building, zip code, or district. Datasets include complaints, problems, and violations from the Housing Preservation and Development (HPD), Department of Buildings (DOB), housing court cases, evictions, permits, and litigation against the landlord. 

ACRIS (Automated City Register Information System)

• The City Register allows you to search property records including mortgages, sales, deeds, coop purchases,  and other legal documents. You will need to look up your BBL number (Borough/Block/Lot), which you can do via ACRIS or on Who Owns What.

Top 100 Worst Landlords Watchlist 

• The Office of the Public Advocate’s Worst Landlord Watchlist is an information-sharing tool that allows tenants, public officials, advocates, and other concerned people to identify which residential property owners consistently flout city laws intended to protect the rights and safety of tenants.