Brooklyn Heights’ Tenants Sue Kushner Cos Over Rent Stabilization

BROOKLYN HEIGHTS – Nine tenants filed a lawsuit claiming they were overcharged in rent-regulated apartments owned by Donald Trump’s son in law’s family company, Kushner Cos.

According to Crain’s New York Business [paywall], the real-estate company overcharged each tenant by about $16,000 per year on average, exceeding $1 million.

This comes after a lawsuit was filed this Tuesday, August 15 by residents of 89 Hicks Street. Crain’s NY Business reports that the tenants claim 100 others were overcharged and are seeking unspecified damages.

According to the lawsuit, the company did not offer rent-stabilized leases, even though they were required by law to.

The NYS law states that privately owned buildings built before 1979, with at least six apartments, are required to stabilize rents.

Kushner Companies purchased the building on 89 Hicks Street from Brooklyn Law School in 2014. Though the residence was exempt from rent-regulation laws (because the building was used only for law students), the same rule does not apply now.