Changes in
New York
State Rent Law
What You Need to Know
(800) 771-7755 | TDD/TTY (800) 788-9898 | ag.ny.gov
Dear Friends,
If you are a renter in New York State,
there are significant changes in
the laws affecting tenants. The
“Housing Stability and Tenant
Protection Act of 2019” provides
important protections for renters
across the State, like how much a
landlord can charge for a security
deposit on new leases. For families
living in rent-controlled or rent-
stabilized apartments, the laws
affect how much a landlord can
increase your rent. Especially
important are the changes for
those with preferential rents, and
for those living in a manufactured
home park.
Every renter in New York should learn about these new protections. This
publication will help you understand many of the most significant changes
and how they might affect you. If you have a question about issues not
covered in this document or if you think your landlord has broken New
York’s tenant protection law, contact my office at (800) 771-7755; TDD/TTY
Toll Free Line: (800) 788-9898.
Sincerely,
Letitia James
Office of the New York State Attorney General | Letitia James
Capping Security Deposits
• Landlords can only charge up to one month of rent for a security deposit
or “advance payment.” This applies to all residential rentals, with a few
exceptions, whether you have a lease or not.
› This means that if you are moving into an apartment where the rent
is $1500 a month, the most your landlord can charge for a security
deposit is $1500.
› This also means that your landlord may not charge you in advance
for the last month’s rent if you are also paying a security deposit.
Limiting Late Payment Fees and Fees for Credit
and Background Checks
• A rent payment can only be considered late if it is received more than five
days after it is due.
• The most your landlord can charge as a late fee is $50 or 5%
of your monthly rent, whichever is less.
• Before signing a lease, the most a landlord can charge is $20
for a credit and background check.
• The landlord has to give you a copy of the background/credit check,
as well as an invoice from the company that performed it. Otherwise,
they can’t charge you for it.
• You can provide your own background and credit check to avoid
any fees, as long as the background/credit check was done
in the past 30 days.
New Laws Protecting
All Residential Renters
(800) 771-7755 | TDD/TTY (800) 788-9898 | ag.ny.gov
No More “Tenant Blacklists”
• A landlord cannot deny you an apartment, rental home, or any other
type of rental based on a past legal conflict with a landlord. For example,
a landlord cannot deny you an apartment because you sued your previous
landlord to make repairs.
• If a landlord rejects your application after using a tenant screening
service (a company that landlords use to see if you have ever been
taken to court), and you have a past history of tenant-landlord
disputes, the law assumes that you were rejected because of this
history, and the landlord may have to pay a fine if they cannot give
a good reason for denying you.
Making It Easier to Break a Lease
• If you leave your apartment or other rental home before your lease
ends, your landlord has to make a good-faith effort to fill the vacancy.
If the landlord finds a new tenant, and the new tenant’s rent is equal
or higher to your rent, your lease is considered terminated and you
are no longer liable for the rent.
You Have a Right to a Receipt
• If you pay rent in cash or money order, your landlord must provide
you with a receipt. If you pay rent by check, you may also request
a receipt. You only have to ask once. After that, your landlord has
to give you a receipt every month. Your landlord must keep proof
of cash rent receipts for 3 years.
Office of the New York State Attorney General | Letitia James
New Protections in Case of Eviction
• If you lose a housing case and the judge orders your eviction, you can
ask the court for up to one year to move if you can show that you cannot
find a similar apartment in the same neighborhood. The judge will take into
account your health conditions, whether you have children enrolled in school,
the hardship on the landlord if you remain, and any other life circumstances
that could affect your ability to move.
• The new law strengthens protections for tenants against retaliatory
evictions and increases penalties for landlords who illegally lock
tenants out of their homes.
Your Rights in Non-Payment Evictions
• Your landlord cannot bring you to court for non-payment of rent
unless they have given you a 14-day written “rent demand.”
• Until you are evicted (i.e. the Sheriff or Marshal executes a warrant
of eviction), you can have your non-payment case dismissed if you
pay all rent that is owed.
• In a non-payment case, you can only be evicted for not paying your
rent. You cannot be evicted for non-payment of other fees (such as
late fees, legal fees, or any other “added” fee).
REMINDER:
When facing eviction, it is often a good idea to consult an
attorney. There are many free legal service providers across
New York State who can represent tenants who qualify
for their services. Check lawhelp.org. The Office of the
Attorney General cannot provide direct legal advice.
You Are Entitled to Notice of Past Due Rent
• Your landlord must send you a written notice by certified mail every
time you are more than five days late with your rent. If your landlord
fails to provide you with the notice, you can raise this as a defense
in court.
(800) 771-7755 | TDD/TTY (800) 788-9898 | ag.ny.gov
Making It Easier to Get Your Security Deposit Back
• Your landlord must return your security deposit within 14 days of you
moving out.
• If your landlord takes any money out of the security deposit for damages,
they must provide an itemized “receipt” describing the damage and its cost.
If your landlord doesn’t give you this receipt within 14 days of moving out, then
they must return your entire security deposit, whether there is damage or not.
• If you are planning to move out, you can ask your landlord to inspect the
apartment (or rental home or other type of home rental) before you move.
They must allow you to be present during the inspection. At that inspection,
the landlord must tell you what needs to be fixed or cleaned. You can then take
care of the problems yourself to prevent the landlord from keeping part or all
of your security deposit.
• If your landlord deliberately breaks this law, you may be entitled to up to twice
the amount of the security deposit.
REMINDER:
Our office may be able to help you get back your rent
security deposit. To request help, simply file a rent security
complaint form with:
Office of the New York State Attorney General
Bureau of Consumer Frauds and Protection
New Protections
for Residential Renters Who Do Not Live in Rent-Stabilized
or Rent-Controlled Housing
ag.ny.gov
(800) 771-7755
TDD/TTY (800) 788-9898
28 Liberty Street
15th Floor
New York, NY 10005
Office of the New York State Attorney General | Letitia James
Better Notice of Rent Increases and Lease Non-Renewals
• If you live in an apartment that is not rent stabilized or controlled, there is still
no limit on how much your landlord can increase your rent. However, your
landlord must give you advanced written notice before they can raise your
rent 5% or more.
• If your landlord decides not to renew your lease, they must also give you
advance written notice. This applies to month-to-month tenants without
a lease as well.
› If you have lived in your apartment two years or more, or if you have
a two-year lease, your landlord must provide you with 90 days advance
written notice before raising your rent or not renewing your lease.
› If you have lived in your apartment for more than one year, but less than
two years, your landlord must provide you with 60 days advance notice
before raising your rent or not renewing your lease.
› If you have lived in your apartment for less than one year, or have a lease
for less than one year, your landlord must provide you with 30 days
advance notice before raising your rent or not renewing your lease.
If your landlord does not provide you with the required written notice,
you have the right to remain in the apartment at your current rent
until you are given the written notice and the time period that applies
to you of 90, 60, or 30 days, expires.
(800) 771-7755 | TDD/TTY (800) 788-9898 | ag.ny.gov
Rules for Major Capital
Improvements (MCI) Increases
• The MCI formula has changed to
limit the amount that landlords
may collect after performing
a major capital improvement.
› The amount your landlord can
raise your rent due to an MCI
increase is now capped at 2%
of your current rent per year,
and there is no retroactive amount.
› This 2% cap also applies to MCI
increases that happened
between June 16, 2012 and
June 16, 2019 so any rent increase
going forward will be limited to 2%.
• MCI increases cannot be added to
your rent if there are any “hazardous”
or “immediately hazardous” violations
at your building. Your landlord must fix
these violations before any MCI can
be authorized by state regulators.
• If fewer than 35% of the apartments
in your building are rent regulated,
the landlord cannot get an MCI increase.
• MCI increases are now temporary
and will be removed from your rent
after 30 years.
MAJOR CAPITAL
IMPROVEMENT (MCI)
is an increase in rent for
a rent-stabilized or
rent-controlled tenant,
based on the money
spent by the landlord
on building-wide
improvements. Landlords
of rent regulated buildings
who make building-wide
improvements (for example,
replacing the boiler,
installing a new security
system, or making major
roof repairs) can apply to
DHCR (a State Agency) to
increase their tenants’ rent.
If you believe your
landlord is not following
the law, you can make
a complaint to the
New York State
Department of Homes
and Community
Renewal at hcr.ny.gov.
New Protections
for Rent Regulated Tenants in New York
Office of the New York State Attorney General | Letitia James
Rules for Individual Apartment
Improvements (IAI) Increases
• Landlords of rent-regulated buildings
who make improvements to individual
apartments that are vacant or with
written approval by the tenant can raise
the rent for that apartment, based on
how much it cost to make the
improvements. This is called an IAI.
• The new law limits how much your
landlord can increase your rent because
of an IAI.
› For buildings with 35 or fewer
apartments, the most a landlord
can raise the monthly rent due to an
IAI is $89.29. In buildings with more
than 35 units, the most a landlord
can raise the monthly rent due to an
IAI is $83.33.
• Before a landlord can collect a rent
increase due to an IAI, they must first
fix any “hazardous” or “immediately
hazardous” violations in the apartment.
• The landlord must use licensed
contractors to perform any work it
intends to count as an IAI.
• A landlord can only claim up to three
IAIs in a 15-year period.
• IAIs will be removed from your rent
after 30 years.
INDIVIDUAL
APARTMENT
IMPROVEMENTS (IAI)
are improvements
made by a landlord
to an individual
apartment, usually
when it is vacant.
(800) 771-7755 | TDD/TTY (800) 788-9898 | ag.ny.gov
Protections for Preferential Rents
• If you are paying a preferential rent, your landlord
is no longer allowed to revoke it and raise your rent
to the higher legal regulated rent.
• If you have a preferential rent, it will say so on
your lease or on a lease rider. The lease will show
your legal rent, and if you have a preferential
rent, it will be shown in the section of the lease
that says: “Lower rent to be charged, if any.”
• This means that your landlord cannot raise your
preferential rent more than the percentage set by
the Rent Guidelines Board, plus any charges for
MCI or IAI, if they apply.
No More Vacancy Increases
• Vacancy bonuses and longevity bonuses are now prohibited.
› The vacancy bonus allowed landlords to increase the rent
of an apartment up to 20% once it became vacant.
› The longevity bonus allowed landlords to increase the rent if the
previous tenant had been living in the apartment for eight years or more.
Curbing the Deregulation of Apartments
• In most cases, landlords are no longer allowed to take an apartment out
of rent regulation when the rent is more than the “high-rent threshold” and
the apartment becomes vacant.*
• In most cases, landlords may no longer take an apartment out of rent
regulation if the tenant is considered “high-income.”*
• Apartments that were deregulated before June 15, 2019 will continue to be so.
However, you should check your rent history, as the law now allows you to look
back at your apartment’s rent history to challenge both the deregulation of
your apartment and the rent you are being charged.
* “High rent” and “high income” deregulation may still apply to rent stabilized units
in certain new buildings that receive tax abatements.
PREFERENTIAL
RENT is when
your landlord
offers you a rent
regulated lease
in which your
rent payment is
less than what
that landlord
can legally
charge under
rent regulation.
To check your rent history, call the Office of Rent Administration at
(718) 739-6400, or visit portal.hcr.ny.gov/app/ask.
Office of the New York State Attorney General | Letitia James
Limiting Rent Increases
• The highest amount a landlord can
increase your rent is the average
of the five most recent Rent Guidelines
Board annual rent increases for
one-year renewals, or 7.5%, whichever
is less.
No More Fuel Pass-along Charges
• Landlords may no longer include fuel
charges on your rent.
Under the old
law, landlords
could raise
your rent up to
7.5% every year
in addition to
fuel pass-along
charges (plus
any MCI and/or
IAI increases).
If you believe your landlord is not following the law,
you can make a complaint to the New York State Department
of Homes and Community Renewal at
hcr.ny.gov.
New Protections
for Rent Controlled Tenants
(800) 771-7755 | TDD/TTY (800) 788-9898 | ag.ny.gov
Limiting Rent Increases
• The new law limits how much a manufactured home park owner
can increase your rent, including the lot rent and any fees or utilities.
• In most cases, rent increases are limited to 3%, but park owners can raise
the rent up to 6% if the increase is determined to be “justifiable.”
• If your park owner asks for a rent increase that is more than 3%, you can
challenge the increase in court. The judge will determine whether the increase
is justifiable.
Rent-to-Own Protections
• If you are entering into a rent-to-own agreement with a manufactured home
park owner, they must provide you with a contract that clearly describes:
› The terms of the contract.
› Any and all fees, rent, or other charges due during the life of the contract.
› The fair market value of the manufactured home.
› The responsibility of the manufactured home park owner to cover major
repairs and improvements during the rental period.
› All leases must include a rider regarding tenant rights.
› Every rent-to-own contract must state that until the title to the property is
transferred, you are occupying a rented home. It must also state that until
that time, the park owner is responsible for keeping your home in habitable
condition; making all major repairs and improvements; and keeping it free
from conditions that would be dangerous to your health and safety.
• Once a year, you are entitled to an itemized account of all payments
that you made in relation to the rent-to-own contract.
• If your lease is terminated by the park owner, the owner must pay back
all of the rent-to-own payments that you paid in addition to any lot
and/or home rent.
New Protections
for Manufactured Home Parks
Office of the New York State Attorney General | Letitia James
Capping Fees
• A manufactured home park owner cannot demand that a tenant pay
attorneys’ fees unless they are awarded those fees by a court order.
• Manufactured home park owners cannot collect late charges on rent payments
received within 10 days of the due date, and then only if a late charge provision
exists in the lease or manufactured home park rules.
• The maximum allowed late fee on rent payments has been lowered from
5% to 3%.
• Late charges cannot be compounded and are not considered to be
additional rent.
Better Notice of Changes of Use
• If a park owner wants their current residents to leave because they are
changing the manufactured home park to another use, the park owner
cannot begin eviction proceedings until two years after they provide you
with notice that they intend to change the use of the park.
• If you own the manufactured home and the park owner wants you to leave
because they intend to change the use of the land, they have to pay you
a stipend of up to $15,000 in order to compensate you for the cost of
moving your home.
If you believe a manufactured home park owner is not following
the law, you may contact the New York State Department
of Homes and Community Renewal (hcr.ny.gov).
The Manufactured Homes Complaint Program Hotline is
(800) 432-4210.
(800) 771-7755 | TDD/TTY (800) 788-9898 | ag.ny.gov
Office of the New York State Attorney General
NYS Division of Homes & Community Renewal (DHCR)
ALBANY
The Capitol
Albany, NY 12224
(518) 776-2000
(800) 771-7755
General Information
HCRInfo@nyshcr.org
nyshcr.org nyshcr.org
ag.ny.gov
Rent Stabilization or Control
RentInfo@nyshcr.org
NEW YORK CITY
28 Liberty Street
New York, NY 10005
(212) 416-8300
Resources
Office of the New York Attorney General
ag.ny.gov
Letitia James
