Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s war on luxury real estate just acquired a searchable address book.
The city’s Department of Finance has published a database containing the names and addresses of property owners who could be affected by New York’s new pied-à-terre surcharge, fueling accusations that City Hall has made it dangerously easy to identify and target wealthy New Yorkers.
The supplemental property roll, published July 24, includes properties that may face the surcharge, along with others that will ultimately fall outside it. Appearing on the list does not mean an owner will necessarily owe the tax.
A Finance Department spokesperson told Fox News Digital that releasing the roll was a matter of legal compliance, not political targeting.
“As per State law, a property roll was released for public inspection. From this list, DOF will identify properties that may be subject to the new non-primary residence property surcharge,” the spokesperson said.
A person familiar with the process also told Fox News Digital that New York City has released similar property rolls for years. When Albany authorizes a new tax or surcharge, the city publishes a roll before determining which properties meet the criteria established by state law, the person said.
Critics contend that the controversy is not simply about whether the underlying records were already public. They argue that compiling names, ownership information and addresses in one easily searched location dramatically lowers the barrier for activists or bad actors looking for targets.
“Nobody wants this database more than Mamdani’s band of communist social media agitators salivating to harass Americans at every turn,” “Ruthless” podcast co-host John Ashbrook told Fox News Digital.
“They attack anybody who questions his decisions, and there’s no question they’ll harass every New Yorker who provides housing for a living,” he added.
City Hall has defended the publication as a transparency measure that allows owners to determine whether their properties may be affected and learn how to seek an exemption.
The surcharge applies during the 2026-27 and 2027-28 property-tax years to certain New York City homes that are not used as primary residences. According to the Department of Finance, it may cover one-, two- and three-family homes valued above $5 million, as well as condominium and cooperative units valued at $1 million or more.
More over at The New York Post:
Mamdani publishes names and addresses of all NYC property owners who could be hit with new pied-à-terre tax. Read today's cover here: https://t.co/87anUukPeg pic.twitter.com/qL3vFCCBq5
— New York Post (@nypost) July 28, 2026
