Aggravated harassment of a rent regulated tenant

§ 241.07 Aggravated harassment of a rent regulated tenant.

An owner is guilty of aggravated harassment of a rent regulated tenant when:

1. With intent to induce three or more rent regulated tenants occupying different housing accommodations in two or more residential buildings to vacate such housing accommodations, such owner intentionally engages in a systematic ongoing course of conduct that:

(a) impairs the habitability of such housing accommodations; or

(b) creates or maintains a condition which endangers the safety or health of one or more of the dwellings' rent regulated tenants; or

(c) is reasonably likely to interfere with or disturb, and does interfere with or disturb, the comfort, repose, peace or quiet of one or more of such rent regulated tenants in their use and occupancy of such housing accommodation including, but not limited to, the interruption or discontinuance of essential services.

2. Such owner commits the crime of harassment of a rent regulated tenant in the first degree as defined in section 241.05 of this article and has previously been convicted within the preceding five years of such crime.

The good faith commencement and pursuit of a lawful eviction action by an owner against a rent regulated tenant in a court of competent jurisdiction shall not, by itself, constitute a "systematic ongoing course of conduct" in violation of paragraph (c) of subdivision one of this section.

Aggravated harassment of a rent regulated tenant is a class D felony.