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Do I have to allow my landlord into my apartment to do repairs, even if I don’t want to? How much notice am I entitled to?

In Episode 43 we discuss whether and when you must allow your landlord into your apartment to do needed repairs. We also discuss how much notice you are entitled to and what kind of control you can assert over the repair process. Can you pick the contractor? Can you do the work yourself and then deduct from the rent? These and other questions are tackled in this episode.

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Can my landlord terminate my lease if I make complaints about conditions in my apartment?

In Episode 42 we are discussing a recent case out of Queens landlord-tenant court that concerns the anti-retaliatory-eviction law, Real Property Law § 223-b.

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  • Today’s Case is Li-Johnson v. Sierra, 2024 WL 4896875 [New York City Civil Court, Queens County 2024]

 

 

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The New No-Broker-Fee Law and Possible Bumps in the Road For its Roll Out

In Episode 41 we examine the Fairness in Apartment Rental Expenses Act, which prohibits real estate brokers from passing their fees onto residential tenants where the broker is exclusively representing the landlord’s interests. This would include brokers who publish listings with the landlord’s permission. Landlords and their agents are also required to disclose the fees that the tenant must pay in their listings and rental agreements. This law is new and changes things a lot. Whenever that is the case, the law can get off to a bumpy start. We look at what those bumps might be and what you can do to protect yourself.

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What do I do if my co-living landlord houses me with a roommate who is a serial killer?

In Episode 40 we look at a January 8, 2025 Business Insider article with the headline: “Man Sues Co-Living Company After Being Housed with a Serial Killer”. You simply cannot make this stuff up.

 

In a 15-page lawsuit filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, a tenant said that a co-living company breached its duty to him when the company placed him with a roommate it knew to be dangerous and unfit and ignored the fact that the roommate had already exhibited abnormal, alarming, and erratic behavior, the roommate had not paid rent in a year, and the roommate threatened the tenant. Nevertheless, the co-living company denied the tenant’s requests to be relocated after he raised concern about his safety. And then the roommate allegedly killed three sleeping homeless men and another person, over a four-day period. To add insult to injury, when the police busted through the apartment door to arrest the roommate-alleged-serial-killer, they arrested everyone in the apartment, including the complaining tenant, who was obviously later released.

 

This episode is not merely going to be about a sensational roommate-from-hell story. The company in this LA story is based in New York City and operates here and has at least a dozen competitors doing co-living business here in New York City. Co-living has become more and more common as a natural response to the New York City housing shortage. We have so often seen situations where tenants in co-living situations feel compromised. Today’s episode is about what you, as a tenant in a co-living situation where you feel unsafe, can do to get your co-living landlord to be more responsive to your request to move you quickly to another apartment or to refund your money.

 

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Housing Court Hack: How to Get your Case Dismissed if your Landlord’s Ownership Entity is in Bad Standing with the State, which is Easy to Look Up

In Episode 38 we discuss a recent eviction case that was dismissed when the tenant pointed out to the judge that the landlord lacked capacity to sue because of the defunct status of its limited liability company, which is easy for anyone to look up regarding their landlord.

 

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How to Terminate Your Deceased Relative’s Lease Early So the Estate Does Not Owe Rent for the Rest of the Term

In Episode 37 we discuss how to keep more money in your deceased relative’s estate (for your inheritance) and less in the pocket of the landlord for rent for an empty apartment. We look at the new Real Property Law § 236-A.

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How can you stop your eviction after losing your Housing Court case?

In Episode 36 we discuss a fairly new case interpreting Real Property Actions and Proceedings Law §749(3), which was changed by the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act, which codifies a tenant’s Right of Redemption – the right of the tenant to pay the “full rent due” at any point before the eviction is carried out and stop the eviction and vacate the warrant. But how much is the “full rent due”? Is it the amount in the money judgment against the tenant? Is it the amount due weeks or months later when the warrant of eviction is issued from the Clerk’s Office? Or is the amount due right up until the time that the eviction is scheduled? This new case gives us an answer.

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It’s Cold Out! How to Make a Lack of Heat Complaint in NYC

In Episode 35 we discuss what the NYC heating requirements are and how to enforce your rights if you are not getting the requisite amount of heat.

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What happens if NYC issues a Vacate Order against your apartment?

In Episode 34 we discuss what happens if a New York City agency issues a Vacate Order against your apartment. We tackle the following questions. Does the landlord have to restore the apartment? How will you know what is going on with the apartment? How can you make the landlord fix the apartment and remove the Vacate Order more quickly? How can you make sure the landlord does not fix the apartment and rent it to somebody else? What if you want to break the lease because of the Vacate Order?

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