N.Y. Real Property Law § 227-f: Denial on the basis of involvement in prior disputes prohibited

§ 227-f. Denial on the basis of involvement in prior disputes

prohibited. 1. No landlord of a residential premises shall refuse to

rent or offer a lease to a potential tenant on the basis that the

potential tenant was involved in a past or pending landlord-tenant

action or summary proceeding under article seven of the real property

actions and proceedings law. There shall be a rebuttable presumption

that a person is in violation of this section if it is established that

the person requested information from a tenant screening bureau relating

to a potential tenant or otherwise inspected court records relating to a

potential tenant and the person subsequently refuses to rent or offer a

lease to the potential tenant.

2. Whenever the attorney general shall believe from evidence

satisfactory to him or her that any person, firm, corporation or

association or agent or employee thereof has violated subdivision one of

this section, he or she may bring an action or special proceeding in the

supreme court for a judgment enjoining the continuance of such violation

and for a civil penalty of not less than five hundred dollars, but not

more than one thousand dollars for each violation.