Brooklyn is home to the worst landlord in New York City, according to a new report from Public Advocate Jumaane Williams.
Property owner Jason Korn manages 13 properties in Brooklyn, and two in Manhattan, that made the Public Advocate’s 2019 New York City Landlord Watchlist — featuring a combined 2,877 open violations with the city’s Department of Housing Preservation.
Korn’ properties — which are located in Midwood and Prospect-Lefferts Gardens, among other neighborhoods — house a combined 703 units, where tenants routinely files complaints about peeling lead paint, rats, roaches and other vermin, dangerous black mold and water leaking into apartments, according to Williams’ report.
The Public Advocate blasted Korn as the “worst landlord” — and pointed out that he has risen on the annual dishonor list.
“He was number nine last year,” said Williams. “Now he is number one.”
Williams presented his findings at a press conference on Monday morning alongside various politicos, including New York State Attorney General Letitia James — the former Public Advocate — who threatened to take legal action against landlords who violate their basic responsibilities to their tenants.
“They need to know, there is a new sheriff in town,” James said. “We will not go silently into the night, we know the power of this list and the shame they will face.”
And Brooklyn is no stranger to other bad actors, according to Williams’ report, which shows that 44 of the 85 properties owned by the 10 worst private landlords are in Kings County.
But, according to Williams, the private landlords misdeeds pale in comparison to the porous conditions featured in the city’s public housing stockpile — which feature a whopping 290,857 outstanding work orders across it’s 172,469 units.
“There is one landlord that gets special ringing at the top, and that is [The New York City Housing Authority],” he said. “The city shouldn’t get away with having 290,000 work orders, over 100,000 from last year.”
