The agreement continues Attorney General James’ efforts to protect New York tenants by cracking down on a practice known as “tenant blacklisting,” where landlords use housing court records as a basis to deny a potential tenant’s rental application. “Using housing court records as a basis to deny housing is discriminatory and against the law. If there is documented evidence that a property owner or landlord obtained an applicant’s housing court records and subsequently denied the application, the law presumes the landlord or property owner made the decision to deny illegally based on the applicant’s court records. This agreement is the latest in Attorney General James’ continuous efforts to protect the rights of New York tenants. In September 2024, Attorney General James, in partnership with HCR’s TPU, re-regulated 263 illegally deregulated apartments and reduced rents in 43 additional units.