The state's Attorney General wants to make it easier to convict building owners engaged in illegal practices.

Notorious Manhattan landlord Steve Croman was sentenced to a year in jail yesterday, after pleading guilty in June to grand larceny, tax fraud, and falsifying business records.

Croman's accused of fudging mortgage documents for two years to obtain refinancing loans. 

He's also paying a $5 million tax settlement to the state, three million of which has already been handed over.

Attorney General Eric Schneiderman's office has a separate civil suit against Croman.

Speaking on "Road to City Hall", he stressed that building owners need to be held accountable for forcing tenants out illegally.

"He was especially bad, but we had to get him on grand larceny and tax fraud charges because there is a law against harassing rent-regulated tenants, but the standards you have to meet to get a conviction under it are so high that no one's actually been convicted of it. It's been on the books for a couple of decades and I propose that we have to reform that so that it's actually possible to get someone," said Attorney General Eric Schneiderman.

Schneiderman's office says Croman bought rent regulated apartments and tried to make renters leave by creating dangerous living conditions.