10-2.17 Criminal Penalties.
(A) It shall be unlawful for any person to demand, accept, receive or retain any rent for the use or occupancy of any housing accommodations in excess of the maximum rent prescribed therefor pursuant to the provisions of this Section or any rule, regulation or order hereunder promulgated, or otherwise to do or omit to do any action in violation of the provisions of this Section or the rules, regulations or orders hereunder promulgated. It shall be unlawful for any person by act or omission knowingly to engage in any conduct tending to deprive a tenant of, or to prevent a tenant from exercising, any right conferred by this Section, including, without limitation, any such conduct tending to deprive a tenant of the peace, comfort or enjoyment of a housing accommodation in violation of this Section and any such conduct intended to result in substantial inconvenience or amounting to a violation of privacy, harassment, intimidation, threat or coercion.
(B) It shall be unlawful for any person to demand, accept, receive or retain any payment which exceeds the maximum lawful rent for one month as a finder’s fee or service charge for the opportunity to examine or lease any housing accommodation; provided, however, no finder’s fee or service charge shall be lawful unless the person from whom the payment is demanded, accepted, received or retained actually rents or leases the housing accommodation with regard to which payment of said fee or said charge has been demanded, accepted, received or retained.