Judge Sends Landlords' Rent-Freeze Lawsuit from Staten Island to Manhattan

A coalition of New York City landlords sued the Rent Guidelines Board over its decision to freeze rents on roughly one million stabilized apartments for two years, calling the move a “sham.” Former First Deputy Mayor Randy Mastro filed the Article 78 action in Staten Island, asserting the board’s impact reaches the borough’s 8,200 units. City corporation counsel Steven Banks countered that such challenges must be brought where the board’s decision was made, namely Manhattan, and requested dismissal on venue grounds.

Staten Island Judge Ralph Porzio agreed, stating the material event was not the impact location and ordered the case to be transferred to Manhattan Supreme Court, postponing further hearings. He described the decision as a modest setback for Mastro and his clients, with a new date for merits arguments to be set soon. The move marks an early victory for the city in the broader legal battle over the rent-freeze policy championed by Mayor Zohran Mamdani.