Woods Lonergan Quoted in The New York Times, Ask Real Estate on New Scaffolding Laws and NYC Tenant Rights

NEW YORK, N.Y. — September 24, 2025. The New York Times recently addressed a common and frustrating issue for city dwellers: the persistence of sidewalk sheds and scaffolding on their buildings for years on end, well past the completion of necessary work. The feature, “Ask Real Estate,” explored the legal and practical steps tenants can take to force landlords to remove the structures.

In the piece, Woods Lonergan attorney Logan Lowe, of the firm’s Real Estate and Cooperative Condo Board Governance Practice Groups, offered expert context on the new enforcement avenues available to tenants who are dealing with this prolonged nuisance.

“For many residents, chronic scaffolding is a perpetual nuisance, but new laws have given the city ‘more tools in the toolbox’ for enforcement. Tenants, especially those in stabilized units, now have a clearer path to challenge these delays by leveraging both the Department of Buildings and state housing authorities.”

The New York Times article outlines the key steps residents can take, noting that recent legislative changes empower the Department of Buildings (DOB) to take more aggressive action against property owners who fail to complete necessary work and promptly remove the sheds. The piece emphasizes that with proper guidance, tenants can successfully hold their landlords accountable for maintaining safe and unobscured building access.

Read the article: The New York Times — “Ask Real Estate” on Scaffolding and Tenant Rights (Subscription may be required.)

About Woods Lonergan PLLC

For more than 30 years, Woods Lonergan PLLC has specialized in complex commercial litigation across a variety of industries and sectors, with a deep real estate bench and a robust co-op and condominium board governance practice throughout New York City’s five boroughs. We represent boards, sponsors, managing agents, buyers, and sellers in high-stakes disputes and related transactions, including construction and property-damage claims, contract and fiduciary-duty actions, building-operations issues, and appeals. Contact our lawyers today.

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About the Author

Logan Lowe joined Woods Lonergan PLLC in 2009. Since that time, Logan has worked diligently on the firm’s intellectual property and technology law matters, collaborating with the firm’s litigation group on nearly all intellectual property disputes. Logan’s area of concentration includes developing technology, cybersecurity, cryptocurrency, block-chain technology, and GDPR compliance.