Attorney Randy Mastro is representing a coalition of New York City landlords in a lawsuit against Mayor Zohran Mamdani's decision to implement a rent freeze. This lawsuit follows the New York City Rent Guidelines Board's approval of Mamdani's pledge to freeze rent for nearly 1 million rent-stabilized apartments, a move Mamdani argues will assist tenants facing high living costs.
Landlord groups assert that the policy disregards rising operating expenses and jeopardizes the financial stability of rent-stabilized housing. Mastro criticized the Rent Guidelines Board for allegedly failing to independently assess economic data, claiming the process was influenced by the mayor's campaign promises. He stated, "An independent board statutorily required to weigh all the evidence and fairly consider the data instead perverted a process at the mayor’s behest to deliver on his campaign promise. This was a sham process to deliver a predetermined outcome that the mayor directed by fiat. That is blatantly illegal."
Mastro highlighted the implications of the rent freeze, noting that over a million New Yorkers reside in rent-stabilized apartments and many landlords are struggling with rising costs. He also referenced the resignation of board member Alex Armlovich, who reportedly stepped down on the day of the vote, suggesting concerns about the integrity of the board's decision-making process. Mastro concluded that the board did not adequately consider statutory criteria and expressed confidence that the rent freeze would be deemed illegal.