Landlords and developers see the quality-of-life fines, known as Environmental Control Board violations, as the cost of doing business, said City Council member Ben Kallos.

Kallos is sponsoring legislation to give the Department of Finance more power to collect the fines.

“The city issues quality-of-life violations when people violate construction safety rules, start construction before or after hours, or have dangerous sidewalk conditions — and nobody seems to care,” Kallos told Crain’s.