Tenants and public officials alike fear a wave of mass evictions is coming once New York’s moratorium on evictions expires next month. Governor Andrew Cuomo instituted the moratorium to prevent people from being evicted during the coronavirus quarantine, when a stay-at-home order was still in effect. With many people still out of work due to the coronavirus pandemic, some tenants have been unable to pay rent for the duration of the crisis, and landlords are already preparing to evict non-paying tenants once the moratorium expires in August.
The coronavirus pandemic is the greatest public health crisis the United States has faced in over a century. While New York has largely gotten the spread of the disease under control, that accomplishment was due in part to measures like the moratorium on evictions, which allowed people to stay in their homes during the quarantine. However, the moratorium expires in August, and landlords are already preparing to evict tenants who have not been able to pay their rent due to losing their income during the coronavirus crisis.
Landlords are eager to evict delinquent tenants due to their decrease in rent receipts. Landlords are angry that they received little to no economic support from New York State during the pandemic. Tenant advocates, however, argue the moratorium should be extended until the economy more fully recovers from the effects of the pandemic. If no additional relief is provided to tenants, many will face eviction and left to fend for themselves while the coronavirus remains a threat to public health. Additionally, a number of Landlords may lose their properties without the needed rental income to pay their mortgages.
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. Contact us online, toll-free (866) 825-1529 or (718) 210-4744 to discuss your rights and the solutions available to you.
Written by 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.
