Mamdani celebrates sale of three New York rent-regulated buildings after years of neglect

Three rent-regulated buildings in Brooklyn’s Crown Heights have changed hands after years of serious maintenance problems. Mayor Zohran Mamdani presented the transfer as a break with landlords who leave families without basic services.

The buildings, at 1018 and 1074 Eastern Parkway and 1392 Sterling Place, were previously linked to the Dukler family. The city identified Rubin Dukler as the former owner and described him in an official statement as “one of the worst landlords” in New York.

Mark Schwartz is now the owner and has assumed the legal obligation to restore the properties. The transfer took place on Wednesday, September 2, under the supervision of local oversight agencies. The buildings are part of the Alternative Enforcement Program because of the severity of the damage reported by tenants.

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one of the worst landlords

The city’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development recorded nearly 1,000 open building-code violations across the three properties. Tenants reported mold, water leaks, plumbing problems and insect infestations. The deterioration recently forced the city to carry out emergency work with public funds, while residents said they had paid for appliances and private repairs themselves.

The measure benefits 88 households. The housing department will oversee the maintenance work, while Mamdani said the administration would monitor reconstruction with residents and the new owner. “This transfer is part of the broader effort by the Mamdani administration to hold the city’s most negligent landlords accountable and improve tenant conditions,” the official announcement said.

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This transfer is part of the broader effort by the Mamdani administration to hold the city’s most negligent landlords accountable and improve tenant conditions.