Hidden landlords: renters’ woes soar as property owners hide their identities

Limited liability corporations allow landlords to conceal their identities, which can pose a big problem for tenants

Years before Emily Gallagher was elected to the New York state assembly in 2020, she attended a protest in Brooklyn. Los Sures, a neighborhood organization, had organized the protest for a tenant who was being harassed by their landlord.

However, the tenant and their supporters had one big problem: they didn't know where the landlord was. All of the rent checks had been made out to a limited liability company (LLC) and sent to a retail-store mailbox.