New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani proposes banning landlords from running background checks and requiring proof of income from potential renters.
The proposal is among 23 recommendations unveiled in Mamdani’s “Rental Ripoff Report” that cracks down on slumlords.
According to WPIX, the current system requires applicants to prove they earn 40X the monthly rent and pay for a credit check.
Officials say the new proposal will reduce the burden on tenants while still protecting landlords’ ability to choose qualified candidates.
“New York City tenants are paying too much in rent and getting too little in return,” Mayor Mamdani said in the report.
He also wants landlords to foot the bill for running credit checks on applicants.
Currently, applicants are responsible for paying for their own credit checks. Applicants are asked to pass credit checks, background checks, and prove they earn 40-times the monthly rent.
Mamdani says the requirements unfairly target low-income people who apply for apartments in desirable neighborhoods.
“A credit check can be prohibitive, especially for people who are very low-income New Yorkers,” the mayor’s tenant-protection chief Cea Weaver told reporters. She added the requirements can affect people with rental assistance who lack an established credit history.
The new proposal comes after Mamdani kept his promise to freeze rent for 1 million rent-stabilized apartments from October 1, 2026 through September 30, 2027.