Mamdani plan would make landlords pay for tenant credit checks

NEW YORK (MNTV) — Mayor Zohran Mamdani is advancing a proposal to shift the cost of tenant credit checks onto landlords or their brokers, aiming to lower the upfront barriers renters face in one of the world’s most expensive housing markets.

Part of the administration’s Rental Ripoff Report, the plan argues that application and screening fees fall hardest on rent-burdened tenants, especially people leaving shelters or relying on rental assistance. 

The Department of Consumer and Worker Protection would work with the City Council on legislation requiring a landlord either to pay for a credit check or to accept proof that an applicant earns at least 40 times the monthly rent — but not to demand both, cutting cost and paperwork for renters.

The 68-page report draws on testimony from about 2,300 tenants across the five boroughs describing conditions, fees, and landlord practices. Its other proposals include legal recognition of tenant unions, expanded city investigations into heating complaints, and a requirement that landlords disclose digitally altered images in rental listings. 

At the announcement, activist Toni Marrero described eviction as a form of violence and called for more tenant power in the system.

The administration has begun talking to City Council members about the measures that need legislation, and housing officials and council representatives signaled willingness to review them. 

Florida Governor Ron DeSantis mocked the event — a response that says more about the reach of New York’s housing fight than about the proposals themselves, which take aim at a genuine imbalance between renters and owners.