§ 227-f. Denial on the basis of involvement in prior disputes
prohibited. 1. No landlord of a residential premises shall refuse to
rent or offer a lease to a potential tenant on the basis that the
potential tenant was involved in a past or pending landlord-tenant
action or summary proceeding under article seven of the real property
actions and proceedings law. There shall be a rebuttable presumption
that a person is in violation of this section if it is established that
the person requested information from a tenant screening bureau relating
to a potential tenant or otherwise inspected court records relating to a
potential tenant and the person subsequently refuses to rent or offer a
lease to the potential tenant.

2. Whenever the attorney general shall believe from evidence
satisfactory to him or her that any person, firm, corporation or
association or agent or employee thereof has violated subdivision one of
this section, he or she may bring an action or special proceeding in the
supreme court for a judgment enjoining the continuance of such violation
and for a civil penalty of not less than five hundred dollars, but not
more than one thousand dollars for each violation.