Must landlords provide reserved parking spaces for disabled tenants who request it? Yes, the Fair Housing Act requires landlords to make reasonable accommodations in their rules, policies, practices, or services when needed to provide persons with disabilities an equal opportunity to use or enjoy a dwelling. A reserved parking space is a common reasonable accommodation […]
29
Aug
Aug
Effective September 12, 2022 by Administrative Order of the NY CHIEF ADMINISTRATIVE JUDGE OF THE COURTS, landlords will be required to use a new Notice of Petition form when starting a summary eviction proceeding for the nonpayment of rent in the City, Town and Village Courts in the Eighth Judicial District, Erie County and the District […]
22
Aug
Aug
New York Attorney General Letitia James (“AG”) continued her efforts to protect New York tenants by cracking down on “tenant blacklisting,” which is when landlords use housing court records as a basis to deny a potential tenant’s rental application. Tenant blacklisting was made illegal in 2019 following changes to the NY Real Property Law, which […]
25
Jul
Jul
Robert Friedman is part of the recently released American Apartment Owner’s Association’s RENT Magazine. This magazine focuses on how to invest despite rising interest rates, smart tax saving strategies, best-selling books for landlords and the latest rental industry updates on new prop tech, evictions, tenant screening, and more. You can read Robert Friedman’s article online for […]
17
Jun
Jun
New York Attorney General Letitia James announced an agreement resolving her lawsuit against landlord John Kiggins and his company, Endzone Properties, Inc., for failing to protect children from lead paint hazards in Syracuse. The lawsuit, filed in October 2021, alleged that Kiggins and Endzone endangered the health of its tenants, primarily children, by repeatedly violating lead paint […]
13
Jun
Jun
A dedication ceremony for the newly created Erie County Landlord-Tenant HUB Court was held on June 2, 2022 at Buffalo City Court, 50 Delaware Avenue, Buffalo, NY. The Erie County Landlord Tenant HUB Court is the first court in the State of New York to operate virtually with a presumptive Alternative Dispute Resolution model. The […]
23
May
May
Yes, the Fair Housing Act requires landlords to make reasonable accommodations in their rules, policies, practices, or services when needed to provide persons with disabilities an equal opportunity to use or enjoy a dwelling. A reserved parking space is a common reasonable accommodation request for tenants who have mobility impairment or other disability which makes […]
19
Apr
Apr
New York Attorney General Letitia James (“AG”) issued an advisory to landlords reminding them that they cannot raise rents if they accepted or plan to accept funding from the New York state’s Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP) which was recently expanded in the New York state’s budget. Landlords who accept payments from the program are […]
13
Apr
Apr
New York Attorney General Letitia James (“AG”) filed a lawsuit against Balsamo, Rosenblatt & Hall, P.C, and its partners Robert Rosenblatt and Edward Hall for engaging in deceptive rent collection practices and initiating frivolous lawsuits against New York tenants. The AG claims that Balsamo’s housing court practice violates New York Executive Law, the Federal Debt Collection […]