Mayor Eric Adams and about two dozen other elected officials are facing a barrage of bogus short-term rental complaints filed against the properties they live in, records from the Department of Buildings show.
A Gothamist review of DOB complaints made through 311 found nearly identical claims against the home addresses of Adams, Comptroller Brad Lander, Public Advocate Jumaane Williams and about half the City Council during a six-week span this summer. The complaints targeted lawmakers in every borough, as well as pretty much every type of housing — from co-op buildings and single-family homes to multifamily properties they own and rent to tenants with yearlong leases. There was even a complaint against at least one apartment complex where a councilmember rents a unit.
Adams, Lander and 17 other elected officials who responded to questions from Gothamist called the allegations false, with several saying they want to find out who is making the claims — and why.
“We certainly want to know who or what organization is filing these fraudulent complaints,” said Bronx Councilmember Eric Dinowitz, whose co-op building was the subject of a complaint on July 8. “Fraudulent complaints are wasting the city’s resources or taxpayer dollars.”
State and local laws prohibit New Yorkers from renting entire houses and apartments for fewer than 30 days, with the city enforcing new restrictions on short-term rental platforms, like Airbnb and Vrbo, this week. The DOB refers complaints to the Mayor’s Office of Special Enforcement, which investigates them.
Both agencies said they could not access or reveal any identifying information about the complainants in each case, and declined to share information about their ongoing investigations. William Reda, a spokesperson for the city’s 311 office, also said his agency cannot provide confidential complainant information.
Gothamist submitted a Freedom of Information Law request for the information last month but has not yet…
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