In a notable move to protect rent-stabilized residents in Queens, New York Attorney General Letitia James and the New York State Homes and Community Renewal Commissioner RuthAnne Visnauskas have launched a lawsuit against the landlord company Zara Realty Holding Corp. The legal action, filed on yesterday, targets the firm for allegedly overcharging tenants in Jamaica and Elmhurst, Queens, as reported by the New York Attorney General’s Office.
According to the lawsuit, Zara Realty has been flouting rent stabilization regulations, particularly exploiting those tenants reliant on housing subsidies from the New York City Department of Social Services. By charging rents above the legal threshold and ignoring HCR’s rent reduction orders, Zara Realty has saddled numerous tenants with unlawful rent hikes. These practices have not only induced financial strain but also placed tenants at risk of eviction.
The office of Attorney General James has detailed instances where Zara Realty dismissed the legal rent caps set by the Rent Guidelines Board, instead charging the maximum amount permitted by tenants’ subsidy programs. The lawsuit further points to cases where Zara Realty sued tenants for not paying these unjustly inflated rents, invoking legal processes that could ultimately lead to evictions…