City pays rent to slumlord

From NY1:

Public Advocate Bill de Blasio says the city does business with one of the worst landlords in New York City.

De Blasio's list of the city's most neglectful landlords includes David Bistricer, the owner of Flatbush Gardens, a Brooklyn housing complex that has racked up thousands of housing code violations.

The city pays Bistricer about $10 million a year to rent large office buildings.

The public advocate said the city should use its rent money as leverage to make Bistricer clean up his buildings, and that city officials should reconsider doing business with neglectful landlords.

"Perhaps it should be the deal that if they're not doing right by the city, that the city would withhold rent until they do right," said de Blasio.

In a statement, city officials said that when they first rented the buildings, they were owned by a different landlord.

NY1 has reached out to Bistricer for comment.