People who rent a residential dwelling usually expect to have limitations on what they can do. Many accept that they can’t make holes in the walls or be incredibly loud. Other limits might also be present. One question that tenants and landlords have a lot is whether...
Year: 2022
Property improvements and your rent in New York
Your apartment is rent stabilized, but you just got notice that your landlord is raising your rent due to improvements that have been made to the building. Is this legal? Quite possibly. It depends partially on the type of improvements your landlord made. Here’s what...
Can the landlord withhold the security deposit in New York?
Most lease agreements require new tenants to pay security at the beginning of the rental period. The security deposit is meant to replace or fix any damages or losses occasioned by the tenant. The tenant has a right to their security deposit at the end of the lease...
Can landlords turn down tenants with criminal records?
As a landlord, you want to know that the people you rent your apartments to will look after them well. You want to be sure they won’t use them to conduct criminal activity such as drug dealing or prostitution. You also want to know that a tenant will not threaten...
What rights do landlords have to enter rental properties?
As a landlord, you may occasionally want to enter the apartments you lease out. While you might own the place, you cannot just enter when you feel like it. Tenants have the right to a certain amount of privacy. This can create conflicts for you, as a landlord....
Do you have to allow a tenant to keep an emotional support cat?
You get a new tenant. They never mention they are a pet owner, and you made it clear you do not accept pets. Yet, within a week, you hear meowing from their apartment. When you knock on their door and ask if they have a cat, they say that the cat is their emotional...
Can your tenants decide to sublet?
When you rented out the apartment that you own in New York, you found tenants that you thought would be respectful to the space and able to pay the rent. You wanted to make sure that you had someone who would take care of the building and who wouldn't cause a lot of...
Do you have to accept a renter with a disability?
As a landlord, you certainly cannot turn prospective renters away because they have a disability. If you do, they could take you to court for discrimination. Yet what if you are not turning them away out of malice but because you think your apartment will not be...
The 3 reasons to evict a tenant
New York laws specify three circumstances in which a landlord may evict a tenant early. Even if the situation meets one of them, landlords must take great care to proceed with the removal correctly. Tenants typically do not like being thrown out, so they may seek to...
What if a departing tenant has damaged your apartment?
As a landlord, it is likely that at some point, you will end up having a dispute with a tenant who is moving out. If you spot damages when your tenant is ready to hand the apartment back, you might feel the tenant should pay to repair them. They may try to pass the...