There was a specific case a couple of years ago in which the tenant of an apartment who was only subletting it short term was fined something like $10,000 since they were able to track a bunch of sublets. This was on the local news - but don;t have exact dates. The fine was later reduced but the renter was evicted.

The new group investigating are charging individuals fines that are not so draconian but are notifying their landlords who can use this as grounds to evict the tenant.

As for tenants reporting those illegal subletting I have seen interviews with those who have reported neighbors at least 3 times (in reports on this whole issue). Presumably those reported are added to the list being investigated and fined.

And yes, I think the investigators are going after the landlords with groups of properties first - since it's the largest number of apartments. But individuals being reported will be reached eventually - or get scared and give up. And the key is that they are NOT NYC residents - they were and kept the apartments when they moved - so make money subletting - perhaps thinking they might come back at some time.

We had a woman in our co-op who did this (but longer sublets) when she transferred to CA but ended up not coming back for several years. She ignored the notification to cease and desist so we had the whole building rekeyed and didn;t give her any. Her next tenants arrived and were not able to get in. We also reported to her bank that she was no longer a tenant in good standing so they moved to cancel her mortgage. Eventually she gave up and sold the apartment.

I know someone who works for a large real estate company that owns a number of condos and apartment buildings. When they find out that someone is subletting a unit, they immediately change the locks and deny access to the building.

I think you are talking about rent stabilized rentals that are not the primary residence. And the landlord has to do a tremendous amount of investigation in order to prove that the apartment is being sublet. As far as I know, no NYC landlord is permitted to just show up and change locks, thus denying a tenant access to their home and their belongings. I have a friend who owned several apartment buildings and it took up to a year to evict a tenant, even one who had not paid rent in many months.

Just so people here who are not NYC residents are aware, subletting is not universally prohibited in NYC, unless forbidden by the landlord and written into the lease.

I've gotten away off the topic that brought me to this thread, which was to post the link to a Harlem apartment in a privately owned brownstone that I recommend to the OP who is or was seeking a Harlem short term rental.

No, I'm not talking about rent stabilized rentals. And believe me they do lock out sublets. The doormen know who is the tenant and who is not. None of their leases allow for sublets so they are not legally in the units. They do lock them out.

No -you posted a link to an apartment in Hell's Kitchen - not Harlem.

NYT: I will clarify this for you once again: The apartment that I linked is in Harlem. If you do not understand that after reading the reviews of said apartment, and ignoring the incorrect map, I suggest you let the matter drop. The link was not posted with you in mind since you live here and I doubt if you are seeking a rental.

My intention was to offer help to the OP, not to become embroiled in yet another discussion of illegal rentals and rent laws in general in my city.
So please carry on without me if you want to go back and forth on the danger of renting an aprtment here.

If we confine outselves to apartments that have been personally recommended by someone with a track record on this forum who has either stayed in one of these apartments or who has visited one of them, we probably have less chance of negative consequences than we do if we cross the street in NYC.

I've probably offered assistance on hundreds of threads here, to people looking for places to stay on a number of continents . I cannot recall any instances of anyone returning to blast me on my advice. Much the opposite, in fact. I stand by my recommendation in Harlem, above.

I was curious about this Harlem/not Harlem place.

The map is clearly not Harlem. I read many reviews that do refer to Harlem.

What makes me question whether this is IN Harlem is the notation that there are 80 reviews based on 3 properties. So perhaps this is a new property by this owner and these reviews are based on one of his other properties, in Harlem.

I have come across this before in Airbnb and VRBO. It is confusing. Twice I turned down apartments because I felt they were fraudulent due to these kinds of reviews/advertising and the owner was not clear when I contacted them.

Soogies: Please read what I wrote above. I know the building and I know the owner. The apartments are in Harlem. The map is wrong. The person who places the ad is the owner of the building. He lives there. It is not a new listing; he has been renting for years. He has no listings in any other areas.

Well it might be helpful if the owner of the apartment had a map showing the correct location. Is it not possible to fix this.

And if this IS legal, perhaps you care to explain why.

What is the point of publishing an incorrect map? How about truth in advertising??

I checked back, and I don't see where you explain how this property is currently legal. Plus the Flipkey listing clearly says that "Pierre" has <i>three</i> listings. Are you saying that all of them are legal?

The man is a friend of mine and he has a few listings in the building. He owns the building and lives there. If you have further questions I suggest you ask him directly, as I am not an agent for the rental. Again, I posted this to help someone seeking an apartment in Harlem. I know that many renters have been happy there. I know the man and I know his building. It's odd that most of the insistent questions here are coming from people who I do not think are interested in renting this, or any other apartment in New York.

I have rented an apartment in NY. I was not aware at the time that it might be illegal.

On the subject of changing the locks - it is illegal for a landlord to do so without a court order in, I believe, all 50 states.

ekscrunchy: Most threads about rentals in NYC you pipe up to say "not <i>all rentals are illegal", which is true --- but probably 97%-99% are illegal. It seems you are just shilling for your friend and his 'legal' rentals.

If he is renting three apartments in one building, aren't two of them illegal, based on this:

"... legal only if the house has been zoned as a 2 family house ... If the owners are renting out 2 or more apartments it is still illegal."

If you want to inquire further, please contact the owner.

I have no wish to be further insulted.
Here's looking at you, Janis.

To clarify, ekscrunchy, your first indication that you knew the building and the owner came after my post.

I didn't call her a liar -- where did I say anything of the sort. (%^$#@)

I observed that every time this topic comes up -- we can depend on ekscrunchy to say "Not all rentals are illegal" . . . when the VAST majority (ekscrunchy's friend excepted) are in fact illegal, and most people renting them (those renting from ekscrunchy's friend excepted) are at risk.

capisce?