Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
NYC asks judge to order house arrest for ‘worst landlord’ in one of his own buildings
By
David Brand
Published Apr 30, 2024
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
Google Maps
By
David Brand
Published Apr 30, 2024
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
A jailed Manhattan landlord could soon move off Rikers Island and be forced to live in one of his own crumbling apartment buildings.
Lawyers from the city’s Department of Housing Preservation and Development are asking a judge to either extend the current two-month jail sentence for landlord Daniel Ohebshalom or order a more unique form of house arrest, according to court filings.
Ohebshalom, who was ranked as the city’s worst landlord on the public advocate’s most recent annual watch list, has been in jail since late March, after a judge sentenced him to 60 days at Rikers for blowing off hundreds of court-mandated repairs at a pair of Washington Heights properties with about 40 apartments.
In a motion filed on Friday, HPD attorney Michael Paul Gdanski said Ohebshalom and his associates began making some fixes at the apartments but still hadn't corrected nearly 400 open violations at 705-709 West 170th St. in Washington Heights.
Gdanski wrote in the filing that the heat and hot water went out in one of the buildings for two days late last month and that Ohebshalom, who lives in California, might skip out on the required work if he’s released.
Ohebshalom’s attorneys declined to comment on the city’s motion or their client’s case.
Gdanski asked Judge Jack Stoller to extend Ohebshalom’s jail sentence or consider “compelling Ohebshalom to reside at a suitable unit" at 705-709 West 170th St. or another one of his buildings for up to four months.
He said Ohebshalom owns at least nine properties in New York City, including some with vacant apartments where he could easily move in after his release from Rikers. The house arrest “would ensure that there is a responsible person with decision-making authority … present at the buildings to direct and arrange for repairs,” Gdanski added.
Stoller is scheduled to decide on the motion next month.
The city’s request echoes the premise of the 1991 film “The Super,” in which a judge sentences a negligent landlord played by Joe Pesci to live in his own building while making needed repairs. Gdanski even referenced the movie in his court filing on Friday, along with another real-life example of defendants sentenced to house arrest for contempt of court.
HPD did not immediately respond to a request for additional comment.
If the judge grants the department's motion, Ohebshalom could live next door to tenants who have described rat infestations, collapsed ceilings and leaking walls — all while they paid their rent.
“We were totally neglected and the money was being taken out of our bank accounts automatically for rent,” retired teacher Loyda Irizarry told Gothamist last month. “It’s been hell for the past four years.”
Irizarry said she has lived in a third-floor apartment at 709 West 170th St. for more than two decades. She shared photos depicting walls with missing chunks and a ceiling that collapsed onto a child’s bed.
Ohebshalom turned himself in to the city sheriff to begin his jail term late last month. Another detainee punched Ohebshalom in the face in a holding cell just hours after his arrival, his lawyers wrote in a court filing. He was transported to Bellevue Hospital for treatment for a broken eye socket before returning to Rikers.
Ohebshalom's lawyers are now urging Stoller to release him from the troubled jail complex and submitted a petition earlier this month claiming conditions there were too hazardous, especially for someone labeled as the “Worst NYC Landlord.”
“It is apparent that Rikers is an unreasonably dangerous setting for [Ohebshalom], where he remains at high risk for additional physical assault, or worse,” they wrote. “Clearly, constitutional rights are being violated.”
Tagged
new york city
Rikers Island
housing
manhattan
public safety
Washington Heights
David Brand
David is a reporter covering housing for Gothamist and WNYC. Got a tip? Email [email protected] or Signal 908-310-3960.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
Staten Island fire injures 2, but spares historic 'Godfather' church
Dozens of firefighters responded to the blaze, which started in a vacant warehouse. It was contained within three hours.
By
Giulia Heyward
Published Oct 18, 2026 at 10:34 a.m. ET
Bail reform remains major issue in NY governor's race, 7 years after it became law
Repeat offenders are a big talking point in the governor's race.
By
Gino Fanelli
News
Bail reform remains major issue in NY governor's race, 7 years after it became law
Repeat offenders are a big talking point in the governor's race.
By
Gino Fanelli
NYPD searching for 'person of interest' in fatal Midtown subway platform shooting
By
Ryan Kost
and
Elizabeth Kim
Have you seen this Yorkie? NYPD looking for adorable pup dognapped from her Queens home
By
Ryan Kost
Being reigning champions is weird for Knicks fans, but we could get used to this.
By
Catalina Gonella
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .