New York Bans Most Evictions as Tenants Struggle to Pay Rent

The Legislature, addressing hardship caused by the pandemic, convened an unusual special session between Christmas and New Year’s to pass the measure.

News Story (New York)

Dana Rubinstein
New York Times (NYT)
December 28, 2020
READ THE FULL STORY HERE

Tags: COVID-19, Housing, Housing: Eviction

Organizations mentioned/involved: Legal Aid Society (New York City)


DETAILS

But the ever-shifting state rules and court guidance have sown substantial confusion among renters seeking to make sense of the legal morass. Tenant attorneys have also expressed displeasure with how some housing court judges interpret the law.

More than elsewhere, courts in the Albany region and in Rochester “have been remarkably unsympathetic to tenants’ situations,” said Ellen Davidson, a staff attorney at the Legal Aid Society.

The new law is by no means a panacea. Tenants will continue to owe landlords any back rent they haven’t paid, once the moratorium ends.