2019-12-22nypost.com

Emily Ratajkowski and her wealthy husband misused a state loft law meant to help starving artists to skip out on $160,000 rent over two years -- and then had to be paid to finally leave the building, the landlord claims.

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The rent dispute took an ugly turn on Twitter at one point, with the glam couple falsely depicting landlord Antoni Ghosh as a "real estate conglomerate" gouging tenants of the Bleecker Street building, according to a lawsuit Ghosh filed against the pair.

Ghosh, who wants $250,000 in damages, does not own 49 Bleecker St. but has rented an entire floor since 1995 for $23,000 a month. He sublets five of the six units. Bear-McClard began renting the unit in 2013 for $4,200 a month, and the rent eventually climbed to $4,900 a month.

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Bear-McClard stopped paying rent in 2017 and filed a worthless application to register the unit under the city's Loft Law -- which meant he couldn't be evicted while his application was pending, the suit charges.

Ratajkowski, 28, and Bear-McClard, 32, "utilized delay tactics while that application was being processed, not paying rent," Ghosh alleged in court papers.

The law is designed to provide affordable housing for artists, who can't be evicted while their Loft Law application is under review. They law protects such tenants from unlawful eviction or massive rent increases.

While getting no rent, Ghosh had to pay $23,000 a month out of his own pocket to building owner Rogers Investments.



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