New York has just enacted some very significant changes to law regarding evictions. 

On June 14, 2019 Governor Cuomo signed the “The Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019” into law. The current rent rules expired at midnight Saturday June 15th.

Under the old laws, if a tenant was behind in rent, a landlord could issue a 3-day notice to pay  before starting an eviction.  Now, a tenant is to be given 14-days to pay any back rent before an eviction can commence.   The new laws also give a longer time frame before a case will be heard in court.  Prior to the new bill, court could be scheduled from 5 to 12 days after a notice of petition was filed with the court, now that time is lengthened to 10 to 17 days.  Under the old law, when a warrant for an eviction was issued and served, a tenant had 72 hours to vacate the apartment.  Now, a tenant will have 14 days before being forced to leave. 

The new law also limits the amount a security deposit can be, limits application and background check fees, limits late fees, makes unlawful eviction a crime, and mandates a notice requirement time to tenants that the landlord must give if a lease is not to be renewed: 30 days notice is to be given for under one year of residency, 60 days for 1-2 years of residency, and 90 days for over two years of residency.