Governor Cuomo has signed yet another new bill designed to protect residential tenants from their landlords.Hoping to eradicate tenant harassment, the legislation prohibits owners from creating “unsafe, disruptive or uninhabitable conditions,” intending to push people out of regulated apartments."Safe and affordable housing is a fundamental right, and we are proud to have enacted the most aggressive tenant protections in New York State history," Governor Cuomo noted by way of a press release.In the past, some landlords would allow hazardous conditions to exist, or would ignore tenant requests to repair or address building-related issues, in the hope that the untenable conditions would push out the occupants."Over the years I have heard far too many horror stories from my constituents about the harassment they have suffered at the hands of unscrupulous landlords trying to drive them out of their homes,” observed State Senator Liz Kruger.The new law will impose a strict punishment for repeat offenders. Landlords who are repeatedly found guilty over the course of five years will face felony charges."The tides have changed,” noted Lucas A. Ferrara, Senior Partner at Newman Ferrara LLP, and an Adjunct Professor at New York Law School. “No longer can landlords get away with subjecting tenants to dangerous or unsafe conditions. Failure to provide habitable housing will now result in serious repercussions.”# # #To read the New York Daily News report on the new law, click here: https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/ny-cuomo-tenant-harassment-letitia-james-landlord-20191203-ea2ajcizarbnzptzz3ievwquyi-story.html# # #Should you have questions about your rights, please do not hesitate to reach out to one of our attorneys at 212-619-5400.
