Attorney General James Stops Bronx Landlord from Illegally Blacklisting Tenants

October 3, 2025

NEW YORK - New York Attorney General Letitia James today announced a settlement with Bronx landlord Parkchester Preservation Management, LLC (Parkchester Management) for illegally denying housing to prospective tenants based on housing court records with prior landlords and for sending denial letters to applicants indicating that housing court records had been reviewed as part of the decision to reject their applications. The agreement continues Attorney General James' efforts to protect New York tenants by cracking down on a practice known as "tenant blacklisting," where landlords use housing court records as a basis to deny a potential tenant's rental application. Tenant blacklisting was made illegal in 2019 following changes to the Real Property Law, which outlawed efforts to deny housing to renters with a history of landlord-tenant court cases.

"Every New Yorker deserves a fair chance at finding safe, affordable, and stable housing without being denied based on outdated or irrelevant information," said Attorney General James. "Using housing court records as a basis to deny housing is discriminatory and against the law. My office will continue to fight back against these unfair practices and stop landlords from illegally rejecting prospective tenants."

"I want to thank Attorney General Letitia James for acting swiftly to hold Parkchester Preservation Management, LLC accountable," said Bronx Borough President Vanessa L. Gibson. "At a time when our city is facing a housing crisis, it is imperative that we hold landlords accountable when they engage in discriminatory practices against prospective tenants."

In 2019, the enactment of Real Property Law §227-f of the New York Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act (HSTPA) made it illegal for a property owner or landlord to deny a rental application based on the applicant's past housing court records. If there is documented evidence that a property owner or landlord obtained an applicant's housing court records and subsequently denied the application, the law presumes the landlord or property owner made the decision to deny illegally based on the applicant's court records. The burden is on the landlord or property owner to prove the applicant was denied for other reasons.

An investigation conducted by the Office of the Attorney General (OAG) found that Parkchester Management improperly obtained housing court records of some prospective tenants and then denied them housing. The OAG also found that Parkchester Management asked questions of certain prospective tenants in a manner that suggests the company was reviewing housing court records as a condition of granting the tenants housing, in violation of the law.

Under the settlement, Parkchester Management has committed to ending its discriminatory tenant screening policies and tenants who were illegally denied housing will be able to re-apply. Parkchester Management is also required to publicly affirm compliance with New York's tenant blacklisting and anti-discrimination protection laws on its website and leasing platforms and will remove the questions "Have you ever been evicted?" and "Have you ever intentionally refused to pay rent or broken a lease" from its rental applications and interviews. Parkchester Management will train its executives and leasing staff on tenant blacklisting and fair housing regulations. If Parkchester Management violates the agreement or engages in tenant blacklisting, OAG reserves the right to pursue further enforcement action, up to and including litigation.

To ensure compliance with state law, OAG recommends landlords and property owners refrain from requesting a potential tenant's court records and rental histories altogether and cease relationships with tenant screening bureaus who continue to provide court records. Any New Yorker who believes that they have been denied an apartment based on court history with a previous landlord should submit a tenant blacklisting complaint online with OAG.

This agreement is the latest in Attorney General James' continuous efforts to protect the rights of New York tenants. In August 2025, the OAG office partnered with New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) Commissioner to file a lawsuit against Zara Realty Holding Corp. (Zara Realty), its principals, and affiliated entities for repeatedly violating rent stabilization laws and overcharging rent-stabilized tenants in Jamaica and Elmhurst, Queens. In February of this year, Attorney General James and Commissioner Visnauskas announced the re-regulation of 21 rent stabilized apartments and return of more than $50,000 to tenants who were overcharged. In September 2024, Attorney General James, in partnership with HCR's TPU, re-regulated 263 illegally deregulated apartments and reduced rents in 43 additional units.

This matter was handled by Assistant Attorney General Jane Landry-Reyes of the Housing Protection Unit. The Housing Protection Unit is led by Brent Meltzer and is a part of the Division for Social Justice, which is led by Chief Deputy Attorney General Meghan Faux and overseen by First Deputy Attorney General Jennifer Levy.