Great Neck Plaza, N.Y., Code of Ordinances ch. 124 (eCode360 ed. 2026) § 124-55
Reprisals prohibited
Operative Text
A. No owner or officer, agent or employee of an owner of a multiple dwelling, hotel or specialized senior housing facilities shall threaten to or shall attempt to evict, increase the rent, withhold a lease renewal or in any other manner take reprisals against any tenant for: (1) Reporting in good faith to the Department of Housing the existence of any violation of this code or any other law, local law or ordinance related to the operation or maintenance of a multiple dwelling, hotel or specialized senior housing facilities. (2) Performing his duties as an officer or employee of the Village of Great Neck Plaza; or (3) Attempting to secure or enforce his rights under his lease. B. No owner or officer, agent or employee of an owner of a multiple dwelling, hotel or specialized senior housing facilities shall threaten to or shall attempt to evict, increase the rent, withhold a lease renewal or in any other manner take reprisals against any tenant for the purpose of deterring or punishing a tenant who forms, joins, assists or sympathizes with lawful activities of a tenant organization or union. C. No action for possession of real property shall be maintained if the dominant purpose in bringing the action is reprisal. Also, no such action shall be maintained if the plaintiff attempted to increase the tenant's obligation under the lease as a reprisal and the tenant's failure to perform such additional obligation is a material reason for bringing such action. Also, no such action shall be maintained on the ground of refusal to pay rent if the plaintiff threatened to or did decrease his obligations under the lease as such a reprisal, and the tenant refused to pay rent because of the reprisal.
Great Neck Plaza, N.Y., Code of Ordinances ch. 124 § 124-55 prohibits owners and their agents from retaliating against tenants who report housing code violations in good faith, perform duties as Village employees, exercise their lease rights, or participate in lawful tenant organizations. Retaliation can take many forms under this provision, including eviction threats, rent increases, and lease-renewal denials. Courts are also barred from allowing eviction actions to proceed when the dominant purpose behind the action is retaliation, including situations where a landlord reduced their own obligations as a reprisal and the tenant withheld rent in response.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under Great Neck Plaza, N.Y., Code of Ordinances ch. 124 § 124-55, compliant property owners and their agents refrain from taking any adverse action—such as threatening eviction, raising rent, or withholding lease renewals—in response to a tenant's protected activities, including housing complaints, Village employment duties, lease-rights enforcement, or tenant-organization involvement. Operators generally document the legitimate, non-retaliatory business reasons behind any rent adjustments, lease decisions, or eviction proceedings to demonstrate that those actions are unrelated to protected tenant conduct. Because § 124-55 also bars courts from hearing possession actions that are primarily retaliatory in nature, maintaining clear records of the factual basis for any tenancy action is a standard practice for compliant management.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Section 124-55 of Great Neck Plaza's Code of Ordinances gives tenants protection against a wide range of retaliatory acts—including eviction attempts, rent hikes, and lease-renewal denials—when those acts follow protected activities such as filing a good-faith housing complaint, exercising lease rights, or joining a tenant organization. If a tenant believes an eviction action has been brought primarily as retaliation, this provision can be raised as a defense in court, since § 124-55 expressly bars possession actions whose dominant purpose is reprisal. Tenants who believe they are experiencing retaliation may consider contacting the Village of Great Neck Plaza's Department of Housing, consulting a tenant-rights organization, or seeking independent legal guidance to understand the options available to them.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated November 9, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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