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Rental Ripoff Hearings
“Rental Ripoff” Hearings in all five boroughs will offer New Yorkers a microphone to share poor conditions and unconscionable business practices.
In January 2026, Mayor Zohran Mamdani signed Executive Order 08, establishing NYC's first-ever "Rental Ripoff Hearings." These hearings will give New Yorkers across all five boroughs a direct platform to share their housing experiences in one-on-one conversations with City officials and help shape housing policy.
New Yorkers can discuss the challenges they face—from poor conditions and repair delays to unconscionable business practices and non-rent fees. City leaders from agencies focused on tenant stability, housing quality, and consumer protection will be there to listen.
Your testimony will directly inform policy changes to strengthen city policies to protect tenants. This is your chance to tell City government what's working, what isn't, and what needs to change.
Registration (below) is required. You can attend at any borough location. If you cannot attend a hearing, we will have options for submitting digital testimony coming soon.
Immediate habitability or health and safety complaints should continue to be reported to 311.
Rental Ripoff Hearing Pre-Registration
You're invited to New York City's first-ever Rental Ripoff Hearings to give New York City tenants the platform to share their experiences with poor housing conditions and unfair business practices in their homes.
You do not need to attend the hearing in the borough you live in. Please fill out the form below to pre-register for a hearing. Space is limited. If we are able to accommodate your request, we will send a confirmation email with details including timing and location closer to the hearing. The information on this registration form will only be shared within the Mayor's Office.
Attendees will have the opportunity to provide policy recommendations, share testimony one-on-one with agency leadership, and learn about the City's housing resources.
Please select one location and time slot to attend.
Brooklyn: Downtown Brooklyn on February 26
Queens: Long Island City on March 5
Bronx: Fordham on March 11
Manhattan: East Harlem on March 28
Staten Island: North Shore on April 7
Frequently Asked Questions
The hearings will include the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants, the Department of Housing Preservation and Development, the Department of Buildings, and the Department of Consumer and Worker Protection. Other agencies will also be available to provide resources.
We welcome New Yorkers to testify in-person at a Rental Ripoff hearing. For anyone who cannot attend in-person, we will have digital testimony options coming soon.
New Yorkers are encouraged to testify about issues such as challenges getting issues in their homes addressed and about any “rental junk fees” you have experienced as a tenant. Rental junk fees can include fees such as fees for certain amenities, pets, services, payment systems, etc.
As directed in Executive Order 08 creating the Rental Ripoff Hearings, City agencies will publish a report 90 days after the final hearing with recommendations for policy changes and action plans based on testimony.
Immediate habitability or health and safety complaints should continue to be reported to 311. You may also request to be connected to the Tenant Support Unit. The hearing will have an on-site resource fair where agency partners such as our Tenant Support Unit will be available to help with individual issues. However, the goal of these hearings is to uncover policy recommendations to be able to more effectively and systematically protect tenants in their homes.
These events are open to the public, will be open to press, and will be recorded. In-person attendees will also have the opportunity to record testimony over video, but this is optional.
No, you may choose the hearing that is most convenient for you.
There is limited capacity at each hearing and we want to ensure that every attendee’s input is considered.
There is limited capacity at each hearing. Selecting a specific time slot will help ensure that as many New Yorkers are able to attend as possible. Each time slot is considered a separate “session,” but the format will remain the same for each session.
Yes! If you are unable to attend the hearing, don’t worry – we will continue to find ways to engage New Yorkers about the quality and stability of their homes.
