NY Rent Moratorium Extended Through August

In a recently issued executive order, New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has extended the state’s moratorium on rent for an additional two months through August 20, 2020. The moratorium, which began in March, suspended all legal action to evict tenants who fail to pay rent while the moratorium is in effect. While landlords have reacted poorly to the extension, tenant advocates are celebrating it as a reprieve from difficult economic circumstances caused by the coronavirus outbreak.

The coronavirus, also known as COVID-19, is the greatest health crisis facing the United States right now, with most states engaging in some form of quarantine to curtail the spread of the disease. These quarantine procedures have resulted in the closing of many businesses, while others have been forced to furlough or fire workers due to limits placed on their business operations. The moratorium was put in place to protect those who have been left without a source of income from being removed from their homes while they sheltered in place, as required by the quarantine.

The moratorium extension reflects the reality that the economy will not immediately bounce back once the quarantine ends on May 15, 2020. Even after businesses resume their regular functions, many will still be left without work, and still vulnerable to the coronavirus if they are evicted from their homes. While the moratorium does not go so far as to cancel their rent payments entirely, it does ensure people will not be removed from their homes while they are still trying to get their lives back on track. It also means people will not be forced onto the street while the coronavirus is still in the environment and infection remains a significant risk.

If you have questions regarding your rights as a landlord or tenant, you should seek advice from an attorney experienced in handling landlord/tenant disputes. Contact the skilled landlord-tenant attorneys at Hobson-Williams, P.C.  Please contact us online, toll-free (866) 825-1529 or (718) 210-4744 to discuss your rights and the solutions available to you.

Author: Tanya Hobson-Williams

Appointed to the bench by the Board of Trustees in 2008, and elected in 2009, Tanya Hobson-Williams was the first African-American Female Justice in the Incorporated Village of Hempstead. Tanya Hobson–Williams obtained her B.A. in Government and Politics from St. John's University and her law degree from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law. Tanya Hobson-Williams has an active elder law practice assisting senior citizens in obtaining Medicaid for Home Care and Nursing Home Care. She routinely lectures at senior citizen centers, assisted living facilities, law schools and counsels families on a variety of topics of concerns to families caring for the elderly. View all posts by Tanya Hobson-Williams