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Landlord Retaliation Laws in New York

New York bars landlords from serving a notice to quit, suing for possession or substantially changing tenancy terms in retaliation for good-faith complaints, enforcing lease rights or tenant organizing, with a 1-year presumption.

Last checked . General information, not legal advice.

New York at a glance

Retaliation banned by statute
Yes
Presumption period
12 months
The landlord must then show a non-retaliatory reason by a preponderance of the evidence.
Protected tenant actions
Good-faith complaints, enforcing lease rights, tenant organizing
Complaints may go to the landlord, the landlord's agent or a government authority.

Sources

Last checked

The rules in New York

Does New York law prohibit landlord retaliation against tenants?

Yes. Retaliation banned by statute in New York: yes.

How long after a tenant complaint is retaliation presumed in New York?

Presumption period in New York: 12 months. The landlord must then show a non-retaliatory reason by a preponderance of the evidence.

Which tenant actions are protected from retaliation in New York?

Protected tenant actions in New York: Good-faith complaints, enforcing lease rights, tenant organizing. Complaints may go to the landlord, the landlord's agent or a government authority.

Where do the New York landlord retaliation laws come from?

The rules above come from N.Y. Real Prop. Law 223-b. Each source is linked on this page. We last checked them in October 2026.

Good to know

Refusing to renew a lease or offering a new lease with an unreasonable rent increase counts as a substantial alteration of the tenancy.

What this means in practice

Keep a written record of every complaint, repair request and report to a government agency, with dates. A presumption period usually runs from the date of the protected action, so proof of that date can matter.

Retaliation protection does not usually excuse unpaid rent or lease violations. Statutes commonly allow a landlord to raise rent, end a tenancy or evict for a good-faith reason, such as nonpayment, damage to the unit or a rent increase applied to all tenants.

If a rent increase, service cut or eviction notice follows a complaint, read the statute for your state and any local ordinance. Cities and counties may add protections, and a local legal aid office or tenant union can explain how they apply.

General information, not legal advice. Laws change, and cities can add their own rules, so check the current statute before you rely on it.