Cal. Civ. Code § 10
Prohibitions
Operative Text
§ 10. Prohibitions. 1. It shall be unlawful, regardless of any contract, lease or other obligation heretofore or hereafter entered into, for any person to demand or receive any rent for any housing accommodations in excess of the maximum rent or otherwise to do or omit to do any act, in violation of any regulation, order or requirement hereunder, or to offer, solicit, attempt or agree to do any of the foregoing. 2. It shall be unlawful for any person to remove or attempt to remove from any housing accommodations the tenant or occupant thereof or to refuse to renew the lease or agreement for the use of such accommodations, because such tenant or occupant has taken, or proposes to take, action authorized or required by this act or any regulation, order or requirement thereunder. 3. It shall be unlawful for any officer or employee of the commission, or for any official adviser or consultant to the commission, to disclose, otherwise than in the course of official duty, any information obtained under this act, or to use any such information for personal benefit. 4. Nothing in this act shall be construed to require any person to offer any housing accommodations for rent, but housing accommodations already on the rental market may be withdrawn only after prior written approval of the state rent commission, if such withdrawal requires that a tenant be evicted from such accommodations. 5. It shall be unlawful for any landlord or any person acting on his behalf, with intent to cause the tenant to vacate, to engage in any course of conduct (including, but not limited to, interruption or discontinuance of essential services) which interferes with or disturbs or is intended to interfere with or disturb the comfort, repose, peace or quiet of the tenant in his use or occupancy of the housing accommodations.
Section 10 of New York's Emergency Housing Rent Control Law establishes several categories of prohibited conduct. No person may charge or collect rent above the legally established maximum, and no landlord may evict or refuse to renew a tenancy in retaliation for a tenant exercising rights under the law. Commission personnel are barred from disclosing or personally benefiting from non-public information, landlords who wish to withdraw rent-controlled units from the market when a tenant is in residence must first obtain written approval from the state rent commission, and deliberate harassment—including cutting off essential services—intended to pressure a tenant to leave is explicitly forbidden.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Operators subject to N.Y. Unconsol. Law (Emerg. Housing Rent Control Law) § 10 generally ensure that rents collected never exceed the applicable maximum rent established under the law. Compliant operators also refrain from taking any adverse action—such as declining to renew a lease or initiating removal proceedings—against a tenant because that tenant exercised a right under the act. When considering withdrawing a unit from the rental market in a way that would displace a current tenant, operators under § 10 typically seek prior written approval from the state rent commission before proceeding.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Under N.Y. Unconsol. Law (Emerg. Housing Rent Control Law) § 10, tenants are protected from being charged rent above the legal maximum, from retaliatory eviction or non-renewal, and from deliberate harassment such as the interruption of essential services intended to pressure them to vacate. A tenant who believes any of these prohibitions have been violated may raise the violation as a defense in a housing proceeding, file a complaint with the relevant rent authority, or reach out to a local tenant-rights organization for general information about available options. Section 10 also means that a landlord generally cannot withdraw a rent-controlled unit from the market and displace a tenant without first obtaining written approval from the state rent commission.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated September 13, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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