New York City Launches Housing Court Fast Track for Tenant Issues

New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani has announced a new way to expedite the most critical Housing Court cases in the city.

The city announced that under a new directive from the Administrative Judge of the New York City Civil Court, Housing Court judges will expedite hearing cases involving vacate orders, immediately hazardous building-wide conditions or elevator outages, and Article 7A proceedings in which the city or tenants seek the appointment of third-party building management because of landlord neglect.

“New Yorkers deserve a government that treats the housing crisis with the urgency it demands. When a building is dangerous, when an elevator is out or when a landlord has abandoned their responsibility to provide a safe home, tenants should not have to wait months or years for relief. This new fast track will help make sure our Housing Court moves with the same urgency as the emergencies New Yorkers are facing,” said Mayor Mamdani. “This is a victory for tenants, legal services providers and everyone fighting for housing justice across our five boroughs.”

In its announcement, the city said the new Housing Court fast track will help further the administration’s efforts to hold negligent landlords accountable, including via actions outlined in its Block by Block housing plan and the Rental Ripoff Report.

Enforcement Tools

It said that through the “Fix the City” initiative, the administration will use a range of enforcement tools, including expedited Housing Court actions, to take on the city’s most persistently negligent landlords. The Mamdani administration said it is also advancing measures outlined in the Rental Ripoff Report to more effectively enforce tenants’ rights to functioning elevators and reasonable accommodations when elevators are out of service for extended periods.

The city said that Housing Court cases often drag on for months or even years, delaying tenants’ ability to return home after a disaster or forcing them to live in dangerous conditions caused by landlord neglect. It said the new fast track will move the most urgent and complex cases more quickly, to deliver justice and repairs to New York City tenants without unnecessary delay.

“Upholding housing standards is one of the key statutory mandates of the Housing Court. The New York State Unified Court System is committed to ensuring that tenants facing the most severe and dangerous housing conditions receive timely access to justice,” said New York City Housing Court Supervising Judge Jack Stoller. “The Housing Court’s new procedure focuses on matters where city agencies have documented that a building is under a vacate order, lacks essential services, or has elevators that are completely inoperable and the situation is urgent. By prioritizing these matters for expedited resolution, the Court reaffirms its dedication to ensuring safe housing for the most vulnerable New Yorkers while also ensuring landlords have a right to present their arguments as well. The Court is pleased to work with the City of New York to identify matters that require expedited action.”

Quicker Response

Leila Bozorg, Deputy Mayor for Housing and Planning, said the system will quicken responses.

“Tenants who are facing immediately hazardous conditions or who are waiting to return home after a disaster deserve a government that acts with urgency. Thanks to the Unified Court System’s new directive, we can more quickly address the most critical emergencies facing New Yorkers,” Bozorg said. “This change is an important part of our all-of-the-above approach to creating a city where every New Yorker can live with dignity.”

“Property owners have important legal responsibilities to properly maintain their buildings and perform repairs, when necessary,” said Buildings Commissioner Ahmed Tigani. “When neglectful and bad-actor landlords intentionally fail to live up to these responsibilities, Housing Court is many times the last option for tenants looking to get relief, including those displaced due to unsafe building conditions and those dealing with prolonged elevator outages. This new fast track for Housing Court cases adds urgency and pressure to initiate long-delayed repairs where it’s needed most, getting New Yorkers back into their rightful homes.”

The city said that in April, Mamdani became the first sitting mayor to visit an operating Housing Court. The administration said it is also investing in tenant representation, including $14.3 million in FY27 and $40 million annually thereafter, to expand Right to Counsel.