Harlem Tenant Wins $35,000 After Fighting Landlord Over Rent and Apartment Conditions

A Harlem tenant, M, won $35,000 in damages after successfully defending herself against her landlord’s attempts to evict her over unpaid rent. With support from Legal Services NYC (LSNYC), M not only dismissed the eviction case but secured compensation for years of rent overcharges and addressed serious apartment problems, including mold, vermin, leaks, and broken kitchen cabinets.

The case began in 2018 when Safa Realty Associates filed to evict M over claims of unpaid rent. LSNYC helped M fight back, raising defenses and counterclaims for rent overcharges and the landlord’s failure to maintain a livable apartment.

M, who primarily speaks Mixteca, faced extra challenges in court because there was no direct translation from Mixteca to English, requiring double interpretation. Despite this, LSNYC’s team successfully showed the landlord lacked evidence to deregulate the apartment.

The court set M’s legal rent at the amount she was paying in 2014, awarded her treble damages of roughly $16,000 for rent overcharges, and nearly $19,000 for the apartment’s habitability issues.

This victory provides M with financial relief and compensation for the difficult living conditions she endured, marking an important step toward reclaiming her rights as a tenant.