Bill > S04098

This bill amends New York's real property actions and proceedings law to establish new conditions that landlords must meet before initiating certain legal actions against tenants, such as eviction proceedings for non-payment of rent or holding over after a lease ends. Specifically, the bill requires landlords to affirm that there are no existing violations of housing maintenance, safety, or housing standards codes in the subject premises or common areas, nor any hazardous conditions or tenant-declared housing issues that contravene the law, across their entire portfolio of buildings (defined as all housing accommodations owned or controlled by the landlord, excluding their personal residence). If a tenant has filed a "tenant declaration of housing conditions" (a formal notification of issues violating housing codes or hazardous conditions), the landlord must prove they have corrected these issues, or that they never existed or were erroneously recorded. The bill also introduces a new section that allows for a stay, or temporary halt, of legal proceedings if new violations or tenant-declared conditions arise after the case has begun, until the issues are resolved. These changes aim to ensure landlords maintain safe and habitable living conditions before pursuing legal remedies against tenants.