"Joan Rodriguez slept on a park bench the night after the landlord locked her out of her apartment. In the three years since then, she has slept on the train, in friends' living rooms and at a shelter while fighting to get back into the apartment she said she was illegally barred from. Rodriguez had been living in downtown Brooklyn with her roommate, whom she loved like a sister."
"Rodriguez is one of thousands of New Yorkers who have accused their landlords in housing court of illegally locking them out of their homes in recent years, according to data published by the City Council. More than 1,000 cases have been filed so far in 2025. Attorneys who represent tenants said those numbers are likely an undercount, because many renters don't pursue cases in housing court."
"New York laws prohibit property owners from evicting lawful occupants from rentals, including by changing the locks, unless they have court orders. The ongoing use of illegal lockouts reflects the tension between renters who are desperate to hold onto their housing - especially when it's affordable - and landlords who say the state's tenant protections make it too difficult for them to manage their buildings."
Joan Rodriguez was locked out of her Brooklyn apartment soon after her roommate died and subsequently slept on a park bench, trains, friends' couches and at a shelter while trying to regain access. Thousands of New Yorkers have accused landlords of illegal lockouts, with over 1,000 cases filed so far in 2025 and many cases likely unreported. New York law bars eviction or lock changes without a court order. Illegal lockouts reveal a clash between tenants fighting to keep affordable housing and landlords frustrated by tenant protections. Tenants can remain displaced for months or years while housing courts process cases, and critics say forced lockouts undermine due process.
Read at Gothamist
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