The city has filed one of its largest ever Airbnb enforcement actions against a Hell’s Kitchen landlord, alleging he illegally rented 26 units in seven walk-up buildings to travelers.
The Manhattan Supreme Court lawsuit accuses Big Apple Management of subletting the rent-stabilized apartments for years despite 50 complaints and $120,000 in fines since 2011.
The buildings are on 47th Street between Eighth and Ninth avenues.
Big Apple landed on the Public Advocate’s “Worst Landlord List” this year for allegedly ignoring 400 housing code violations.
This is the 13th suit the city has filed against a building owner for illegal sublets, but it involves the highest number of properties in one case. The city is seeking over $1 million in damages plus a fine of at least $1,000 a day as long as the landlord continues subletting the units.
“This is about protecting housing meant for New Yorkers, and preserving a sense of safety and community in a residential neighborhood,” said Christian Klossner, executive director of the Mayor’s Office of Special Enforcement.
“The message of this action is clear—if landlords turn a blind eye to rampant illegal short-term rentals, then we will see them in court,” Klossner said.
Big Apple Management has outfitted the buildings with electronic devices that allow a steady stream of tourists entry to the properties with a code, “raising public safety concerns of uncontrolled access,” the suit says. The visitors also bring “noise, filth, and the excessive traffic,” the suit says.
Single bedrooms in the apartments rent for as little as $77 a night, according to court records.
Reps for the landlord did not immediately return a message seeking comment.
