{"id":16593,"date":"2022-12-02T15:00:00","date_gmt":"2022-12-02T20:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.renthop.com\/content-manager\/?p=16593"},"modified":"2023-07-22T11:36:24","modified_gmt":"2023-07-22T15:36:24","slug":"nyc-tenant-blacklist-guide","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.renthop.com\/blog\/nyc-tenant-blacklist-guide\/","title":{"rendered":"NYC Tenant Blacklist Guide"},"content":{"rendered":"\n
Finding a place to rent in NYC is difficult, but some people have had a harder time than others. This can happen for a variety of reasons, but one of the things people most often blame is the tenant blacklist. Some people think that landlords have a list of people not to rent apartments to, but how legitimate is this claim? Is there a tenant blacklist? If so, how do you end up on it? How can you get yourself removed from it? We have all these answers, and more, below.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
First and foremost, the tenant blacklist is real\u2026sort of. See, the government keeps data of everyone with a history of delinquent payments and those who have ever gone to housing court. This data is purchased<\/a> from the government by different tenant screening companies, which can then be utilized by landlords while performing background checks into potential tenants. Though a blacklist doesn\u2019t explicitly exist, tenants with a housing court history will likely have negative search results when looked-up, which might make it seem like their applications are rejected more often.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The short answer to this question is, \u201cno.\u201d However, it can get a bit more complicated than that. In 2019, NYC made it illegal for landlords to reject applications based on a complicated housing court history or a bad relationship with a previous landlord. Landlords who do reject applications for this reason can be fined up to $1000 if they are caught. <\/p>\n\n\n\n The issue is, it\u2019s hard to catch them doing this stuff. Landlords can just point out another reason to reject a renter and housing court info is public. Even if a landlord does get caught rejecting applicants for going to housing court, they might just decide to pay the fine and keep doing it, knowing they can make that money back once they find a tenant they like. So what can be done?<\/p>\n\n\n\n There are several ways to get your name removed from housing courts searches. For example, if you and your landlord get along well, part of the housing court settlement can be a tenant endorsement rather than a permanent stain on their record. This situation won\u2019t work for everyone, as taking a landlord to housing court usually means something has gone very wrong. However, it never hurts to bring it up as an option.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Additionally, if a legal battle is coming, have your lawyer contact your landlord’s lawyer, and have them list you under John or Jane Doe. This is totally legal, and will keep you anonymous in court records about your case. This might make looking up your case difficult later, but finding a home will make that annoyance worth it.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Unfortunately, if you have already gone through housing court with your full name, you will just have to wait it out. There is an expiration date for your name to appear on housing court searches. The Fair Credit Reporting Act<\/a>, for example, erases housing court data after seven years. Many housing court searches in NYC won\u2019t include data that\u2019s older than five years. It\u2019s a long time to wait, but it will be erased eventually.<\/p>\n\n\n\n While this solution may seem like a pipedream, there is a way you can solve a building issue with a difficult landlord without resorting to housing court. The procedure is called a Housing Part action<\/a>, or \u201cHP.\u201d All a tenant has to do is fill out a form saying that there is a building violation. The city will then send an inspector. If the inspector finds a violation, then the landlord is legally required to fix the issue or face heavy fines. Names are kept anonymous, so landlords can\u2019t retaliate against tenants, and names are not entered into the housing court database.<\/p>\n\n\n\nCan Your Application Be Rejected Because of Your Housing Court History?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Removing Your Name From a Housing Court Search<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Avoid Housing Court Altogether<\/h2>\n\n\n\n