*Finding an apartment in New York City could become less expensive under a proposal from Mayor Zohran Mamdani that would shift the cost of tenant credit checks from renters to landlords and brokers.
The administration says the change would reduce one of the upfront expenses many apartment hunters face in a city where housing costs already consume a large share of household budgets. Officials also say the proposal would help renters leaving shelters or using rental assistance, the New York Post reports.
Under the plan, landlords would have two options when screening applicants. They could either verify that a prospective tenant earns at least 40 times the monthly rent or pay to obtain a credit report themselves. They would no longer be allowed to require both forms of financial screening.
Mamdani said discussions are already underway with City Council members to advance the proposal.
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“We are speaking to our partners, whether it be those who serve in the City Council or beyond that, about the importance of…ensuring that we are finally bringing the kinds of tenant protections that this city should have brought years ago,” Mamdani told reporters Thursday.
He added, “I know that we’ve already started conversations with City Council members around the aspects of this report that require legislative action.”
The recommendation is part of the administration’s 68-page Rental Ripoff Report, which draws on testimony from about 2,300 tenants across New York City’s five boroughs. The report also calls for recognizing tenant unions, requiring citywide investigations of heat complaints and mandating that landlords disclose when rental listing photos or videos have been created or altered with artificial intelligence.
Housing and Buildings Committee Chair Pierina Sanchez welcomed the effort.
“The administration has begun productive conversations with me about the report’s legislative proposals, and I look forward to participating thoughtfully in the Legislative Task Force,” she said.
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