Landlord harassment is illegal in New York. Tenants have the right to enjoy their units in peace so long as they are meeting the terms of their lease. Yet landlords may try to harass tenants for many reasons, especially in New York’s competitive real estate market. Often, the goal is to get you to break…
Continue readingThe rental market is tough everywhere, but it doesn’t get tougher than New York City. If you’re going to make it as a renter here, you’ve got to adopt some smart legal habits to protect yourself. Here are five habits that real estate lawyers like me recommend to New York tenants. #1) Reading the Lease…
Continue readingSecurity deposits are an endless source of frustration for New York tenants. It can be difficult to get them back even if you move out of a squeaky clean, undamaged apartment. In addition, security deposits can serve as a barrier to moving into a new place. Here’s what you need to know about New York…
Continue readingThere are few things more disgusting or distressing than a bedbug infestation. That’s why New York specifically has laws to protect tenant’s rights to a bedbug-free environment. Here’s what you need to know. Your Rights If Your Unit Has Bedbugs If you have bedbugs, your landlord has 30 days to correct this problem. It’s considered…
Continue readingLandlords have a responsibility to provide safe, well-maintained homes. While the city does not enforce minor repairs, it does require landlords to adhere to housing codes. These codes are enforced by the Department of Housing Preservation and Development Violation (HPD). If they do not, they may be issued one of three types of violations. A…
Continue readingA rental history can help you in several different ways. For one, it can help you determine if your apartment is rent-stabilized. It can also help you argue against outrageous rent increases, even if your apartment isn’t rent-stabilized. Seeing the history might also give you an idea of how often rent increases and by how…
Continue readingYou spend the night with your significant other. Your landlord tells you they will evict you for having sex before marriage unless you agree to stop seeing your significant other on their property. Can they do it? Or you are a member of the LGBTQ+ community, and your landlord catches wind of your orientation. Can…
Continue readingYour landlord has certain obligations to make sure your apartment is livable. Those obligations include providing hot water year-round and heating during “heat season.” Heat season runs from October 1st to May 31st each year. We’re still a few months out…but knowing your rights is important before heat season begins. For one thing, landlords in…
Continue readingRecently, residents of a building in the Bronx went on a rent strike. Their landlord refused to fix rodent and cockroach infestations, peeling paint, leaking pipes, broken cabinets, refrigerators, outlets, and stoves. They also filed a lawsuit to get the landlord to address the issues. There are even worse stories out there. Some tenants in…
Continue readingIn recent news, New York City tenants marched by the thousands to protest rental conditions in the city, bearing signs like “Cap the Rent” and “The Rent is Too Damn High.” Collective action is powerful, but marching isn’t your only option. You could also form a tenant organization to champion your interests. In New York,…
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