N.Y.
Real Property Law Section 216
Grounds for removal of tenants
1.
No landlord shall remove a tenant from any housing accommodation covered by § 214 (Covered housing accommodations)section two hundred fourteen of this article, or attempt such removal or exclusion from possession, notwithstanding that the tenant has no written lease or that the lease or other rental agreement has expired or otherwise terminated, except upon order of a court of competent jurisdiction entered in an appropriate judicial action or proceeding in which the petitioner or plaintiff has established one of the following grounds as good cause for removal or eviction:(a)
(i) The tenant has failed to pay rent due and owing, provided however that the rent due and owing, or any part thereof, did not result from a rent increase which is unreasonable. In determining whether all or part of the rent due and owing is the result of an unreasonable rent increase, it shall be a rebuttable presumption that the rent for a dwelling not protected by rent regulation is unreasonable if said rent has been increased in any calendar year, after the effective date of this article, or after the effective date of the local law in any village, town, or city that enacts such local law to apply this article to such village, town, or city pursuant to subdivision one of § 213 (Voluntary participation by local governments outside the city of New York)section two hundred thirteen of this article, by an amount greater than the local rent standard, provided further that no rent increase less than or equal to the local rent standard shall be deemed unreasonable.(ii)
Whenever a court considers whether a rent increase is unreasonable, the court may consider all relevant facts, including but not limited to a landlord’s costs for fuel and other utilities, insurance, and maintenance; but in all cases, the court shall consider the landlord’s property tax expenses and any recent increases thereto; such relevant facts also shall include whether the landlord, other than in circumstances governed by paragraph (d) of this subdivision, seeks in good faith to raise the rent upon a renewal lease to reflect completed significant repairs to the housing accommodation, or to any other part of the building or real property in which the housing accommodation is located, provided that the landlord can establish that the repairs constituted significant repairs and that such repairs did not result from the landlord’s failure to properly maintain the building or housing accommodation, and provided further that for the purposes of this subparagraph, “significantly repair” means the replacement or substantial modification of any structural, electrical, plumbing, or mechanical system that requires a permit from a governmental agency, or abatement of hazardous materials, including lead-based paint, mold, or asbestos in accordance with applicable federal, state, and local laws, and provided further cosmetic improvements alone, including painting, decorating, and minor repairs, do not qualify as significant repairs;(b)
The tenant is violating a substantial obligation of their tenancy or breaching any of the landlord’s rules and regulations governing said premises, other than the obligation to surrender possession, and has failed to cure such violation after written notice that the violation cease within ten days of receipt of such written notice, provided however, that the obligation of tenancy for which violation is claimed was not imposed for the purpose of circumventing the intent of this article and provided such rules or regulations are reasonable and have been accepted in writing by the tenant or made a part of the lease at the beginning of the lease term;(c)
The tenant is committing or permitting a nuisance in such housing accommodation, or elsewhere in the building or on the real property in which the housing accommodation is located, or is maliciously or by reason of gross negligence substantially damaging the housing accommodation, or causing substantial damage elsewhere in the building or on the real property in which the housing accommodation is located; or the tenant’s conduct is such as to interfere with the comfort and safety of the landlord or other tenants or occupants of the same or another adjacent building or structure;(d)
Occupancy of the housing accommodation by the tenant is in violation of or causes a violation of law and the landlord is subject to civil or criminal penalties therefor; provided however that an agency of the state or municipality having jurisdiction has issued an order requiring the tenant to vacate the housing accommodation. No tenant shall be removed from possession of a housing accommodation on such ground unless the court finds that the cure of the violation of law requires the removal of the tenant and that the landlord did not through neglect or deliberate action or failure to act create the condition necessitating the vacate order. In instances where the landlord does not undertake to cure conditions of the housing accommodation causing such violation of the law, the tenant shall have the right to pay or secure payment in a manner satisfactory to the court, to cure such violation provided that any tenant expenditures shall be applied against rent to which the landlord is entitled. In instances where removal of a tenant is absolutely essential to such tenant’s health and safety, the removal of the tenant shall be without prejudice to any leasehold interest or other right of occupancy the tenant may have and the tenant shall be entitled to resume possession at such time as the dangerous conditions have been removed. Nothing herein shall abrogate or otherwise limit the right of a tenant to bring an action for monetary damages against the landlord or to otherwise compel compliance by the landlord with all applicable state or municipal housing codes;(e)
The tenant is using or permitting the housing accommodation, or elsewhere in the building or on the real property in which the housing accommodation is located, to be used for an illegal purpose;(f)
The tenant has unreasonably refused the landlord access to the housing accommodation for the purpose of making necessary repairs or improvements required by law or for the purpose of showing the housing accommodation to a prospective purchaser, mortgagee or other person having a legitimate interest therein;(g)
The landlord seeks in good faith to recover possession of a housing accommodation for the landlord’s own personal use and occupancy as the landlord’s principal residence, or the personal use and occupancy as principal residence of the landlord’s spouse, domestic partner, child, stepchild, parent, step-parent, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, parent-in-law or sibling-in-law, when no other suitable housing accommodation in such building is available, provided that no judgment in favor of the landlord may be granted pursuant to this paragraph unless the landlord establishes good faith to recover possession of a housing accommodation for the landlord’s own personal use and occupancy as the landlord’s principal residence, or the personal use and occupancy as a principal residence of the landlord’s spouse, domestic partner, child, stepchild, parent, step-parent, sibling, grandparent, grandchild, parent-in-law or sibling-in-law, by clear and convincing evidence. This paragraph shall not apply to a housing accommodation occupied by a tenant who is sixty-five years of age or older or who is a disabled person;(h)
The landlord in good faith seeks to demolish the housing accommodation, provided that no judgment in favor of the landlord may be granted pursuant to this paragraph unless the landlord establishes good faith to demolish the housing accommodation by clear and convincing evidence;(i)
The landlord seeks in good faith to withdraw a housing accommodation from the housing rental market, provided that no judgment in favor of the landlord may be granted pursuant to this paragraph unless the landlord establishes good faith to withdraw the housing accommodation from the housing rental market by clear and convincing evidence; or(j)
The tenant fails to agree to reasonable changes to a lease at renewal, including increases in rent that are not unreasonable as defined in paragraph (a) of this subdivision, as long as written notice of the changes to the lease were provided to the tenant at least thirty days, but no more than ninety days, prior to the expiration of the current lease.2.
A tenant required to surrender a housing accommodation by virtue of the operation of paragraph (g), (h), or(i)
of subdivision one of this section shall have a cause of action in any court of competent jurisdiction for damages, declaratory, and injunctive relief against a landlord or purchaser of the premises who makes a fraudulent statement regarding a proposed use, removal from the rental housing market, or demolition of the housing accommodation. In any action or proceeding brought pursuant to this subdivision a prevailing tenant shall be entitled to recovery of actual damages, and reasonable attorneys’ fees. Except as provided in this subdivision, nothing in this article shall create a civil claim or cause of action by a tenant against a landlord.3.
Nothing in this section shall abrogate or limit the tenant’s right pursuant to Real Property Actions & Proceedings Law § 751 (Stay upon paying rent or giving undertaking)section seven hundred fifty-one of the real property actions and proceedings law to permanently stay the issuance or execution of a warrant or eviction in a summary proceeding, whether characterized as a nonpayment, objectionable tenancy, or holdover proceeding, the underlying basis of which is the nonpayment of rent, so long as the tenant complies with the procedural requirements of Real Property Actions & Proceedings Law § 751 (Stay upon paying rent or giving undertaking)section seven hundred fifty-one of the real property actions and proceedings law where applicable. * NB Repealed June 15, 2034
Source:
Section 216 — Grounds for removal of tenants, https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/RPP/216 (updated May 3, 2024; accessed Oct. 26, 2024).
