Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced a proposal to require disclosures of AI-generated or digitally-altered apartment images.
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Beware the AI in-unit washer/dryer.New York Mayor Zohran Mamdani announced a slew of new tenant-protection proposals on Thursday, the result of his "Rental Ripoff Hearings" earlier this year. The plans included solutions for black mold, fire concerns — and a growing AI problem.New York will now require real estate agents and listing sites to disclose the use of AI or digitally altered images and video in "misleading rental listings," Mamdani announced. "You shouldn't have to worry whether the apartment you are viewing online is real."Then, Mamdani took a crack at one of New York's leading apartment listing sites: "It's called StreetEasy, not StreetHard."The "Rental Ripoff Report" — a 68-page dossier of the hearing's findings and outcomes — includes more details of the mayor's AI proposal.New York's Department of Consumer and Worker Protection will work with Zillow and StreetEasy to enforce the "clear and conspicuous disclosure" rule after it goes into effect, the report says."We agree with Mayor Mamdani that finding a new rental in NYC should be easy, and that's why finding an apartment on StreetEasy is… easy," a StreetEasy spokesperson wrote to Business Insider. "We look forward to continuing our work with the Mamdani administration, as well as state and federal officials, to ensure it stays that way. "
