New York Attorney General Letitia James has filed the first lawsuits under her office’s “de facto” rent stabilization compliance program, taking legal action against two Brooklyn landlords accused of illegal evictions, tenant harassment, and failure to register regulated housing units with state authorities.
The lawsuits, announced last Monday, June 16, 2026 target property owners John Anderson and Claudette Henry, and mark the first enforcement actions since the program launched in May 2025. The initiative is designed to enforce rent stabilization protections in small buildings that have been converted—legally or illegally—from fewer than six units to six or more, bringing them under New York’s rent stabilization regime established under the Emergency Tenant Protection Act of 1974.
According to the Office of the Attorney General (OAG), the compliance program has already prevented 26 evictions and resulted in 91 housing units being restored to rent stabilization status through voluntary compliance by landlords.
Allegations of illegal evictions and harassment
The lawsuits allege that Anderson and Henry failed to register rent-stabilized units with the New York State Homes and Community Renewal despite prior court determinations classifying their buildings as subject to rent stabilization laws.
Prosecutors further claim both landlords attempted illegal evictions and engaged in tenant harassment in violation of state housing protections. The Attorney General’s Office is seeking court orders requiring full registration of the units, restitution for overcharged tenants with interest, and civil penalties for noncompliance.
“Rent stabilization and tenant protection laws help keep working New Yorkers throughout our city in homes they can afford,” said James. “My office will not shy away from taking immediate action against any landlord who fails to follow the law and attempts to overcharge or illegally evict tenants.”
Details of the Brooklyn properties
In the case of John Anderson, the OAG alleges that his Brooklyn property at 1075 Dean Street was determined to be de facto rent stabilized in 2016, yet he allegedly failed for years to provide rent-stabilized leases. The complaint also accuses him of misrepresenting the building’s status to city officials and engaging in retaliatory conduct against tenants, including alleged utility shutoffs after a tenant requested a regulated lease.
Claudette Henry, who purchased a Brooklyn property at 134 Sackman Street in 2004, is accused of failing to register the building after it was deemed subject to rent stabilization. The OAG also alleges repeated attempts to evict tenants unlawfully and a lack of response to multiple compliance warnings issued in 2025. Henry was previously listed among the Public Advocate’s worst landlords in New York City.
Enforcement strategy and compliance program
The de facto rent stabilization compliance program was created to enforce judicial and administrative findings that certain buildings are subject to rent stabilization even when they were not properly registered by landlords.
Under the program, landlords are given the opportunity to demonstrate exemption or come into compliance by:
- Registering legal regulated rents with state authorities
- Issuing rent-stabilized leases at lawful rates
- Notifying tenants of their rights under rent stabilization laws
- Certifying compliance to the Attorney General’s Office
According to the OAG, 21 landlords have already certified compliance, restoring 91 units to rent stabilization and halting 26 eviction actions.
Legal remedies sought
The Attorney General’s Office is asking the court to compel both landlords to immediately:
- Register all units as rent stabilized
- Issue lawful rent-stabilized leases
- Refund overcharged rent with 9% interest
- Pay civil penalties, including per-unit fines for failure to register and additional penalties for alleged harassment
The case also seeks damages ranging from $2,000 to $10,000 per instance of tenant harassment, along with $500 per unit per month of non-registration.
Broader tenant protection actions
This enforcement action follows a series of housing-related interventions by the Attorney General’s Office, including agreements to shut down a predatory eviction law firm, lawsuits over unsafe housing conditions, and settlements addressing discriminatory housing practices across New York State.
The cases against Anderson and Henry are being handled by the OAG Housing Protection Unit within the Division for Social Justice.
