New York Real Property Law section 235 prohibits landlord harassment of Nassau tenants through threats, repeated unwanted contact, utility shutoffs, frivolous lawsuits, and lockouts. Violations carry civil penalties up to two thousand dollars per offense plus actual and punitive damages.
RPL section 235, expanded by HSTPA in 2019, defines unlawful tenant harassment as any course of conduct intended to cause a tenant to vacate or surrender rights, including illegal lockouts, removal of doors, shutoff of essential services like heat or water, repeated frivolous court filings, threats based on immigration status, and unauthorized entry. Nassau County tenants can file civil claims in District Court or Supreme Court and refer matters to the NY Attorney General Tenant Protection Unit. The Nassau County Commission on Human Rights also investigates harassment that overlaps with discrimination based on race, family status, source of income, or disability.
Each harassment finding carries civil penalties up to $2,000, with $10,000 maximum for repeat or aggravated cases, plus injunctive relief, restoration of services, and recovery of tenant attorney fees and emotional-distress damages.
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See how Nassau County's tenant anti-harassment rules stack up against other locations.
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