Housing
Beware of Paying Your Rent With Money Orders
How you pay your rent can be very important. While money orders seem convenient, they may cause you a lot of problems and, in some cases, could lead to your eviction.
A money order may not...
Beware of Rent-to-Own Agreements
PLEASE NOTE: As of 6/14/2019, laws regarding housing in New York State experienced several changes. We are currently working to update this article to reflect these changes. Please check back...
Beware of Working for your Landlord Instead of Paying Rent
In our experience at LawNY®, tenants will sometimes call us because they are being evicted for nonpayment of rent, even though they worked for their landlord. Sometimes, the work involves...
Communicating with your Landlord
Problems with communicating with your landlord in-person or by text message
If you discuss important issues about your tenancy, it is important to keep records of your conversations. Important...
Demand for Past Due Rent in Mobile Home Parks
Note: If you have a rent-to-own agreement with your mobile home park owner or operator, you have additional rights that are not described in this article. If problems arise with the park owner or...
Fair Housing Disability Issues
“Steps are what we have. We can’t accommodate a walker.”
“My insurance won’t cover a ramp if you get hurt.”
How do I know if I’ve been discriminated against?
General Eviction Information for New York
What is an eviction?
An eviction is a court process a landlord can use to evict a tenant from a rented apartment, house, or mobile home.
An eviction case, which lawyers call a Summary...
Illegal Evictions
What do I need to know about illegal evictions?
A landlord who tries to illegally evict a tenant may be guilty of a criminal misdemeanor. It is illegal for your landlord to try to evict you by...
Landlord Won't Make Repairs
Landlord Won't Make Repairs
Tenants often have problems trying to get their landlords to make repairs. This article provides general information about how you can try to get the repairs done....
Mobile Home Rent-to-Own Contracts
In 2019 the New York legislature officially recognized that manufactured homes provide a critical source of affordable housing in New York. The legislature also recognized that manufactured home...
New Protections for NY State Renters
On June 14th, 2019, the Governor of NY signed into law a bill that provides new tenant protections. The bill is called the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection act of 2019. It was passed to...
New York State Fair Housing Protections
Legal Assistance of Western New York (LawNY) is one of six recipients of a new state fair housing grant through a partnership with Enterprise Community Partners and the New York State Attorney...
New York State Protected Classes
The federal Fair Housing Act of 1968 protects individuals against housing discrimination on the basis on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, and disability. New York...
Security Deposits
What is a security deposit?
A security deposit is money that you pay to your landlord when you move in. Your landlord holds this money until you move out. If you damage the property or do not...
Subsidized Housing
How do I know if my housing is subsidized?
In some cases this may be obvious. One of the most common types of subsidized housing is the Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program. This is...
What to Do if You Are Not Treated Fairly in Court
You should be treated fairly and with respect when you go to court. If you had a court hearing and the Town, Village, or City Judge or Justice did not treat you with fairness and courtesy, you...