Owner Sues Over “Worst Landlord List”

Billionaire property owner Kamran Hakim filed a lawsuit after New York City officials included him on their “100 Worst Landlords” list for the second year in a row.

The list names and shames owners with the most violations at their properties. This year Hakim was named the 52nd worst landlord in New York City due to numerous violations levied by the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development against four of his properties on the Upper East Side. Hakim says he spent millions fixing the violations that got him on the list last year, and that NYC Public Advocate Letitia James libeled him and deprived him of due process.

Hakim also reportedly said in a letter this summer that the public advocate’s office did not take factors such as uncooperative tenants, holdout tenants or vacancies into account. He filed his $15 million lawsuit in the New York State Supreme Court Dec. 20.