New York Attorney General Letitia James and Syracuse Mayor Sharon Owens have filed a lawsuit against the owners and managers of Nob Hill Apartments, alleging years of unsafe living conditions, tenants’ rights violations and illegal business practices.
The lawsuit follows a deadly fire at the Syracuse apartment complex on February 28 that killed one person and displaced dozens of residents. A second fire occurred at the complex in May.
According to the Attorney General’s Office, Nob Hill was cited 413 times for city and state code violations between 2019 and 2026. Sixty-nine violations remained unresolved as of June, including alleged fire safety issues.
The lawsuit details tenant complaints involving pest infestations, sewage backups, broken elevators, overflowing trash and heating and cooling systems that allegedly failed during extreme temperatures. Residents also reported broken doors and locks that went unrepaired, contributing to concerns about theft, fights and stolen vehicles.
James and Owens allege the apartment complex’s owners allowed the problems to persist while failing to provide tenants with the living standards promised in their leases.
“The deadly fire at Nob Hill Apartments was a shameful, preventable tragedy,” James said. “New Yorkers should never pay the price for their landlord’s negligence, and residents of Nob Hill have suffered too long in unacceptable conditions.”
Owens said the complex was once considered a source of quality housing in Syracuse, but that its reputation had been severely damaged by its current ownership.
“These owners need to be held accountable for this neglect,” Owens said.
The lawsuit also claims Nob Hill misled prospective tenants by promoting the complex online as “comfortable and convenient” despite the allegedly hazardous conditions. Owners are also accused of charging monthly technology and pest-control fees without providing tenants with a clear benefit.
The Attorney General’s Office said it received approximately a dozen complaints from former residents who claimed their security deposits were not returned or properly accounted for after they moved out.
The state and city are asking the court to require Nob Hill’s owners to correct all outstanding violations and reimburse residents who spent their own money making their apartments safe. They are also seeking rent abatements, tenant restitution, the return of security deposits and allegedly illegal fees, penalties payable to Syracuse, and the forfeiture of profits earned while the complex was allegedly violating city, county and state codes.
The allegations have not yet been proven in court.
