‘Worst Landlord’ in NYC Indicted for Harassing Tenants With Unsafe Living Conditions

Activists Call On NYC Mayor And Housing Authority To Address To Jacob Riis Houses' Water And Gas Crisis — (Photo : Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images) A maintenance worker cleans the grounds of the Jacob Riis Houses as residents and activists gather for a protest against the living conditions at the public housing unit on September 14, 2022 in New York City. Despite extensive city operated tests showing that the water does not contain arsenic, many residents still complain about cloudy and foul smelling water, a lack of repairs and other issues plaguing the 2,600 residents living there. Following the discovery of dangerous levels of arsenic in the tap water on the Friday evening of Labor Day weekend at the housing complex in the East Village, residents had been given bottled water and provided take away meals and were told not to drink the water. Tests now show that the initial water results were wrong, but many residents are still angry and plan to sue the New York City Housing Authority

Daniel Ohebshalom, known as one of the "worst landlords" in New York City, was recently indicted for allegedly harassing tenants of rent-regulated apartments with the intention of driving them out of the units.

Ohebshalom and four shell companies affiliated with him-Keystone Management Inc, Liberty Ventures LLC, Highpoint Associates XII LLC, and Belmont Ventures LLC-were indicted on 80 counts of harassing tenants of rent-regulated apartments, making false statements, and endangering a child's welfare, according to an announcement posted by Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg.

Ohebshalom allegedly refused to perform maintenance on some units until they fell apart, withheld heat and hot water during the winter season, and failed to install basic locks on the front doors of rent-regulated apartments. In one case, Ohebshalom refused to address leaky pipes, which caused ceilings to collapse, including on a young child.

In some of Ohebshalom's buildings, tenants were plagued with roaches, rats, and black mold, per the New York Post.

Ohebshalom's goal was to create horrific living conditions to compel tenants of rent-regulated apartments to move out. He would then renovate the vacant apartments into multi-bedroom units so he could sell the buildings at a higher price, the DA's office noted.

"As alleged, Daniel Ohebshalom took advantage of rent-regulated tenants living in five Manhattan apartment buildings by creating dangerous living conditions in an effort to push them out. New Yorkers deserve to live in their apartments without fearing for their safety," DA Bragg said.

Forging Documents

In addition to "engineering vacancies," the DA's office said Ohebshalom forged documents certifying the completion of building maintenance projects even though they were never done. Ohebshalom also used the names of his associates' employees instead of his own on some building documents to hide his ownership and evade addressing building issues.

Prior to the indictment, Ohebshalom was jailed on Rikers Island in March over almost 700 unaddressed building violations at a pair of his Manhattan apartment buildings.

The allegations stemmed from five of Ohebshalom's apartment buildings in Manhattan, including:

331 E. 14th St.
410 W. 46th St.
412 W. 46th St.
705 W. 170th St.
709 W. 170th St.

Ohebshalom is facing eight counts of Harassment of a Rent Regulated Tenant in the First Degree, 29 counts of Offering a False Instrument for Filing in the First Degree, and three counts of Endangering the Welfare of a Child.