Brooklyn Cease and Desist Zones
On November 7, 2021, Governor Kathy Hochul signed legislation requiring the Department of State to hold a public hearing and conduct an investigation to determine if additional real estate cease and desist zones should be established in all or part of Brooklyn. Cease and desist zones are designed to help prevent aggressive real estate solicitation from brokers, agents, or real estate speculators that target private residences.
If you are a resident of Brooklyn, please fill out this form to help us gather evidence of aggressive solicitations.
On November 7, 2022, the Department filed a Notice of Proposed Rule Making to establish an additional Cease and Desist Zone for Part of Community Board 17 in Brooklyn. Upon holding the above-posted public hearings and receiving substantial evidence from many homeowners, over the course of many months, the Secretary of State determined that homeowners within the zone proposed by this rule making are subject to the types of solicitations that cease-and-desist lists are intended to guard against. Accordingly, this rule advances the legislative intent and strengthens the policies sought by legislative enactment. The proposed rule text is available at https://dos.ny.gov/regulatory-proposals.
Registration
Information about Cease and Desist Zones
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Notice about Cease and Desist Zones - June 2018
On May 21, 2018, the Department of State (the “Department”) filed a Notice of Adoption to establish a new cease and desist zone for the Village of Chestnut Ridge, in Rockland County.
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Notice about Cease and Desist Zones – October 2020
The Department of State (the “Department”) has filed a Notice of Adoption, published in the New York State Register on October 28, 2020, to establish a new cease and desist zone for a portion of Kings County.
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Maps of Cease and Desist Zones
Cease and Desist List
Updated 5/3/2023. The lists are updated monthly
Other Forms
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Request for Cease and Desist List
Cease and desist regulations prohibit the solicitation of owners whose name and address appear on the Cease and Desist List.
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Cease and Desist Order- Homeowner Complaint Form
This form should be completed by homeowners who have registered to be included on a cease and desist zone pursuant to New York Real Property Law § 442-h and Section 175.17 of Title 19 of the NYCRR and who have, after registration, received unwanted solicitation(s) to place their property for sale.
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FAQs
What are Cease and Desist Zones?
A cease and desist zone is an area designated in regulation to address aggressive real estate solicitation. The regulation prohibits the solicitation of a real estate listing from any homeowner whose name appears on a Department of State issued cease and desist list.
Who is prohibited from soliciting in a cease and desist zone?
Real estate brokers, real estate salespeople and other persons regularly engaged in the buying and selling of real estate are prohibited from soliciting a listing from homeowners included on the cease and desist list.
What areas are included in the Cease and Desist Zones?
The zones include the following parts of Kings and Rockland Counties:
Rockland County:
The zone includes all of the Village of Chestnut Ridge, located within the Town of Ramapo.
Kings County:
The area beginning at the Queens border of Brooklyn to the east and the intersection of Jamaica Avenue to the north; thence westerly along Jamaica Avenue to Pennsylvania Avenue; thence southerly along Pennsylvania Avenue to Sutter Avenue; thence westerly on Sutter Avenue to Van Sinderen Avenue to the west; thence southerly along Van Sinderen Avenue to Linden Boulevard to the south; thence easterly along Linden Boulevard to the Queens border; thence northerly along the border to the point of the beginning on Jamaica Avenue.
Please see the Maps of the zones above.
What does solicitation mean?
The “legal” definition is:
(i) For the purposes of this subdivision, solicitation shall mean: An attempt to purchase or rent or to obtain a listing of a property for sale, for rent or for purchase.
It shall include but not be limited to: telephone, mail, delivery services, personal contact or otherwise causing any solicitation, oral or written direct or by agent: (a) to be delivered or presented to owner or anyone else at the owner’s home address; (b) to be left for the owner or anyone else at the owner’s home address; (c) to be placed on any vehicle, structure or object located on the owner’s premises
(ii) Solicitation shall not include classified advertising in regularly printed periodicals that are not primarily real estate related; advertisements placed in public view if they are not otherwise in violation of this subdivision; or radio and television advertisements (refer to section 19NYCRR 175.17 of the real estate law booklet on our website.)
Does the Cease and Desist zone include sending out mailings stating they listed or sold a house in the neighborhood?
Yes. Sending of just listed or sold mailings cannot be sent to the individuals named on the list.
Does it also include sending out EDDM (every door direct mail) marketing postcards to highlight: “just listed” or “just sold”?
Yes, EDDMs are considered solicitation. See related decision available here.
Does “homeowner”, in your cease and desist notification, refer to owners of single family homes or does it include owners of multifamily buildings as well?
Homeowner refers to the owners of both single family and multifamily homes.
Does a Cease and Desist Zone apply to both commercial businesses and residential properties?
No, it applies to residential properties only.
I own a home in a Cease and Desist Zone. How do I add my name and address to the Cease and Desist List?
Homeowners may add their names to the cease and desist list by registering on the Department of State website (see link below) or by requesting and completing a registration form. Click on Cease and Desist Zone Registration from the section above. It brings up a form you can submit electronically.
How do I get a copy of the Cease and Desist list?
The list will be available on the Department’s website for free, or available for purchase for $10.00. The Department expects the first list to be available beginning December 1, 2017.
How often will the list be updated?
The list will be updated monthly.
Our company uses Facebook to boost Facebook posts which often are a description of a property for sale, or advertisement about our company services. (Boosting a post, placing a Facebook advertisement allows a person to share a post with a zip code or town, or a radius around a town.) Would this be considered a violation of the of cease and desist order?
Facebook posts are not delivered or addressed to the home address or owner’s premises, so they would not be prohibited by the rule.
Would investment and management companies who buy properties or land in these areas fall under “or any other person regularly engaged in the business or trade of buying and selling property”?
Yes, investment and management companies that regularly buy properties and try to solicit sales of homes are subject to the rule.