NYC landlord says violent squatter lives rent-free on taxpayer money, has caused $30,000 in damages

A violent squatter who allegedly lived rent-free in a New York City apartment has caused tens of thousands of dollars in damage, according to the landlord. Even though the tenant has been ordered to be removed, they are still waiting for the eviction to happen.  

Falada Aderidigbe had been living in an East Harlem rental building after landlord Amy Simek commenced eviction proceedings against him in August 2024, and his lease ended in February 2025.

Aderidigbe moved into the building in March of 2024, paying $2,350 monthly rent with a NYC Human Resource Administration voucher. Upon moving in, he destroyed his studio apartment by “breaking down the walls, ripping out sheet rock and destroying the bathroom,” according to court documents. The damage cost Simek and her son Kevin about $30,000, with an additional $40,000 in legal fees.

Simek explained how she was forced to accept a tenant who was previously in the shelter system because the area median income for the area met the CityFHEPS rental assistance program.

“You walk a delicate line,” she told the New York Post. “If you don’t accept a city applicant, you fall into the discrimination category. We had to go along not knowing this guy was just a horror.”

Aderidigbe would allegedly leave his apartment with the stove burners on, bang on the walls, run down the hallways naked, and rant loudly at night for hours.

“He happily destroys our lives for two years and I can’t get a judge to remove him from this apartment,” Simek said.

Kevin said he called 911 on Aderidigbe after the tenant had continually texted and called me like 100s of times with explicitly nasty, sort of deranged comments.” Aderibigbe was taken away by ambulance.

“It’s been complete stress, non-stop frustration not knowing when his next episode will be,” said Kevin. “I feel terrible for other tenants in the building. It hurts. I built that building.”

Simek said the process that began in August to remove him took until May 6 of this year before a judge authorized Aderidigbe’s legal removal.

"The city takes no responsibility,” Amy Simek added. “You take people in a homeless situation and put them in a private landlord situation and … they put the burden on us. We’re not social workers. We do this as a business. I can’t understand why they don’t help this guy. He needs so much supervision. He’s a threat to the neighbors.”

The Simeks said they are still waiting for the court to schedule the eviction.