A 10637: Enacts the "anti-slumlord act" which prohibits the acquisition of residential property by property owners with outstanding immediate hazardous violations; defines terms; establishes and requires a compliance certification form; sets forth recording requirements; provides for enforcement of provisions by the attorney general.

  
  STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 10637  IN ASSEMBLY March 13, 2026 ___________ Introduced by M. of A. ZACCARO -- read once and referred to the Commit- tee on Housing AN ACT to amend the real property law, the multiple dwelling law and the executive law, in relation to enacting the "anti-slumlord act" The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "anti-slum- 2 lord act". 3 § 2. Legislative findings and intent. The legislature intends to 4 incentivize property owners to promptly correct immediate hazardous 5 housing violations and to prevent irresponsible landlords, often 6 referred to as slumlords, from expanding their portfolios if they are 7 unwilling or incapable of providing safe and healthy living conditions 8 for their tenants. 9 § 3. The real property law is amended by adding a new article 6-B to 10 read as follows: 11 ARTICLE 6-B 12 PROHIBITION ON ACQUISITION OF RESIDENTIAL PROPERTY BY PROPERTY OWNERS 13 WITH OUTSTANDING IMMEDIATE HAZARDOUS VIOLATIONS 14 Section 219-a. Definitions. 15 219-b. Prohibition on acquisition of residential property. 16 219-c. Compliance certification required. 17 219-d. Recording requirements. 18 219-e. Enforcement. 19 § 219-a. Definitions. For purposes of this article, the following 20 terms shall have the following meanings: 21 1. "Residential property" shall mean any building, home, or structure 22 intended to be used for residential dwelling, and shall include one to 23 two family homes, multiple dwellings, and any mixed-use building that 24 has residential units. 25 2. "Property owner" shall mean any individual, partnership, trust, 26 limited liability corporation, or legal entity that holds the title to a 27 residential property. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD14738-02-6 
 A. 10637 2 1 3. "Immediate hazardous violation" shall mean any violation of a 2 municipal or statewide housing, building, health, or fire safety agency 3 code that is deemed by such agency to pose an immediate threat to the 4 life, health or safety of occupants, including, but not limited to, 5 class C violations as issued by the New York city department of housing 6 preservation and development. 7 4. "Housing enforcement agency" shall mean any countywide, municipal, 8 or statewide agency with the authority to inspect residential property 9 and issue violations based on housing, building, health, or safety 10 codes. Such term shall include, but not be limited to, the division of 11 housing and community renewal, the department of health, and any other 12 departments and agencies that enforce housing codes. 13 5. "Outstanding immediate hazardous violation" shall mean an immediate 14 hazardous violation that has not been dismissed by a housing enforcement 15 agency or certified by a property owner. 16 § 219-b. Prohibition on acquisition of residential property. 1. No 17 residential property owner shall acquire directly, or through any indi- 18 rect means, residential property within the state of New York if such 19 owner has any outstanding immediate hazardous violations at presently 20 owned residential properties issued by a housing enforcement agency. 21 2. Such prohibition on the acquisition of residential property set 22 forth in subdivision one of this section shall apply to purchases, 23 transfers, conveyances of deed, transfers of controlling interest to 24 entities and persons who own property, and any type of transaction that 25 results in a property owner obtaining legal or beneficial ownership of 26 or in residential property. 27 3. Such prohibition on the acquisition of residential property set 28 forth in subdivision one of this section shall remain active until all 29 outstanding immediate hazardous violations have been corrected and 30 certified as corrected by the housing enforcement agency which issued 31 the violation. Such prohibition shall be removed once any and all previ- 32 ously defined violations have been corrected and certified. 33 § 219-c. Compliance certification required. 1. Prior to the recording 34 of any deed or other instrument conveying an interest in residential 35 property subject to this article, the prospective grantee or transferee 36 shall submit a compliance certification form, executed under penalty of 37 perjury, affirming that such grantee or transferee does not have any 38 outstanding immediate hazardous violations attached to any property 39 owned by such grantee or transferee. 40 2. Any deed or conveyance subject to this article that is recorded 41 without the compliance certification required by this section shall be 42 voidable and deemed invalid. 43 3. The division of housing and community renewal shall establish the 44 form and manner of the compliance certification form required by this 45 section and shall make such compliance certification form publicly 46 accessible in paper and electronic form. 47 4. Housing enforcement agencies shall make available information on 48 any outstanding immediate hazardous violations issued to residential 49 property owners, including the classifications of such violations. 50 § 219-d. Recording requirements. 1. Notwithstanding any other 51 provision of law to the contrary, the secretary of state, a county 52 clerk, city register, or other recording officer shall not accept for 53 recording any deed or conveyance subject to this article unless accompa- 54 nied by a compliance certification required pursuant to section two 55 hundred nineteen-c of this article. 
 A. 10637 3 1 2. No county clerk, city register, or other recording officer shall 2 incur civil or criminal liability for refusing to record any deed or 3 conveyance in accordance with this section. 4 § 219-e. Enforcement. 1. The attorney general is hereby authorized to 5 commence an action or proceeding to void or invalidate any conveyance of 6 residential property made in violation of this article. 7 2. Any property owner who knowingly violates the provisions of this 8 article shall be subject to a civil penalty of not less than ten thou- 9 sand dollars for each violation. Civil penalties collected pursuant to 10 this section shall be paid to the housing enforcement agency that issued 11 the outstanding immediate hazardous violation, and such funds shall be 12 used exclusively by such housing enforcement agency to conduct emergency 13 repairs on the property which incurred the violation. 14 3. Any attempt by a residential property owner to evade the provisions 15 of this article by conveying or transferring property through a related 16 entity or persons, shell company or other straw purchasers shall be 17 deemed a violation of this article. 18 § 4. Section 4 of the multiple dwelling law is amended by adding a new 19 subdivision 45 to read as follows: 20 45. An "immediate hazardous violation" is any violation of a municipal 21 or statewide housing, building, health, or fire safety agency code that 22 is deemed by such agency to pose an immediate threat to the life, health 23 or safety of occupants, including, but not limited to, class C 24 violations as issued by the New York city department of housing preser- 25 vation and development. 26 § 5. The multiple dwelling law is amended by adding a new section 85 27 to read as follows: 28 § 85. Classifications identifying immediate hazardous violations; 29 municipalities. Municipalities shall be authorized and encouraged to 30 adopt classifications identifying immediate hazardous violations. Where 31 a municipality has adopted such classifications authorized by this 32 section, any transfer or conveyance of residential property shall be 33 subject to the provisions of article six-B of the real property law. 34 § 6. Section 63 of the executive law is amended by adding a new subdi- 35 vision 19 to read as follows: 36 19. Have the authority to enforce article six-B of the real property 37 law, including the power to commence an action or proceeding to void or 38 invalidate any conveyance of residential property made in violation of 39 such article. 40 § 7. This act shall take effect one year after it shall have become a 41 law. Effective immediately, the addition, amendment and/or repeal of any 42 rule or regulation necessary for the implementation of this act on its 43 effective date are authorized to be made and completed on or before such 44 effective date.