NYC Tenants Call On Landlords To Restore Gas

New York City tenants in parts of Manhattan are calling for their landlords to restore the gas in their apartments. 

A dozen New Yorkers rallied in front of an apartment Thursday in Washington Heights to protest a landlord not repairing the gas. This particular apartment building hasn't had functioning gas since October.

Faustino Olivo, a tenant of the building, said everyday without gas brings a new challenge.

"[The landlords] gave us hot plates four seperate times," Olivo recounted. "The hot plates are trash. They're garbage. So most of the time we had to spend money eating out."

City Council Member Mark Levine said refusing to repair the building's basic functions is a common tactic landlords use to get their tenants to pay higher fees. 

 "It is a true hardship for tenants who can't cook in their own home," Levine said. "Families often don't have the money to eat out at restaurants every night or order take out every night. This is a financial hardship on them."

The people who live in the apartment building are suing the landlord. They are expected to go to court July 6th.