Landlords rally to demand financial relief

NEW YORK - Landlords in New York City are asking state and congressional leaders for financial aid, arguing that they have been shouldering the heaviest burden of the pandemic by not collecting rent from tenants but still footing the bill on their mortgages and building maintenance.

On a rainy afternoon in the shadow of City Hall, hundreds of small property landlords, many of whom are immigrants, cheered, chanted, and hoped their message would reach the mayor's office.

“We can not be the safety net for the city. They need to step up,” said one protester.

Due to emergency declarations enacted during the pandemic by the city and state, landlords say they are being prevented from evicting tenants for non-payment, but that their bills are still piling up.

• NYC landlords call for financial relief

Some landlords say their tenants refuse to pay rent but have purchased furniture, new TVs, computers, and even a new car.

“Because the governor told her she didn’t have to pay”, said one landlord.

“We came to this country to achieve American dreams, but we are not being treated fairly,” another landlord said.

For some landlords, the problem is the inability to evict. For others, they need the court to help. Some are fearful, the state might raise property taxes.  

Landlords at Friday's protest say they want help from the state.

FOX 5 NY reached out to the state, but they put the blame on the federal government, saying “New Yorkers need the federal government to act responsibly and deliver the resources we need to support them.”

FOX 5 NY also reached out to the White House for comment but received no response.