New York's tenant-protection law changed everything in 2019.
The New York's tenant-protection law of 2019 dramatically expanded tenant rights statewide: ended vacancy decontrol, capped Major Capital Improvement (MCI) rent increases, capped Individual Apartment Improvement (IAI) rent increases, extended the rent-overcharge lookback from 4 years to 6 years, and made the warranty of habitability harder to waive. If your tenancy started or was renewed after June 14, 2019, New York's tenant-protection law likely applies to your situation.
Warranty of habitability is a statutory right.
NY's habitability law imposes an implied warranty of habitability in every NY residential lease. It cannot be waived. Conditions that materially affect health and safety — no heat, no hot water, vermin, mold, structural defects — entitle tenants to rent abatement, often retroactive. NYC's Housing Maintenance Code layers additional housing-maintenance obligations on NYC landlords.
Self-help eviction is illegal in NY.
NY landlords cannot lock you out, change the locks, remove your belongings, or shut off utilities without a court order. NY's illegal-lockout law lets a wrongfully ejected tenant recover treble damages (three times actual damages) for a willful unlawful eviction. NYC's anti-self-help-eviction law makes most self-help evictions in NYC a misdemeanor.
Tenant attorney's-fees recovery under tenant-protection law.
If your lease has an attorney's-fees clause that the LANDLORD can invoke against you, New York tenant-protection law makes that clause reciprocal — meaning if you WIN, the landlord pays your attorney's fees. That changes the negotiation dynamic substantially in many cases.
Contingency / no-fee structures available.
Most habitability and harassment cases can be taken on a contingency or hybrid fee structure — particularly when rent abatement, damages, or fee-shifting under is in play. We discuss fee structure at the free consultation; you owe nothing to call.