What's happening
The bill requires landlords to ensure rental properties have utility services before renting and to keep utilities connected between tenants.
Why it matters
Ensures basic habitability and safety. By requiring landlords to provide utility services (like water, electricity, and heat) before leasing, the bill helps prevent tenants from moving into unsafe or unlivable conditions, directly impacting tenant health and wellbeing.
Adds legal and financial risk for non-compliance. Landlords who rent properties without active utilities face penalties under the penal law, meaning there are real consequences for neglecting this responsibility—potentially deterring irresponsible or negligent landlords.
Reduces service interruptions and move-in delays. By mandating landlords to keep utilities active in between tenancies (where utility companies allow), the bill minimizes gaps in service that could cause property damage (like frozen pipes), inconvenience new tenants, or delay move-ins.
Shifts some utility management burden onto landlords. Landlords must now enroll in utility programs to automatically revert accounts to their name between tenants, requiring them to be more proactive and organized in property management.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Require Utilities Before Renting
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History
- Referred to housing
- Referred to housing
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
6819
2017-2018 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
March 21, 2017
Introduced by M. of A. HUNTER -- read once and referred to the Committee on Housing
AN ACT to amend the real property law, in relation to requiring landlords to ensure rental properties are equipped with utility services prior to renting such properties
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 235-b of the real property law is amended by adding a new subdivision 4 to read as follows:
4. The landlord shall not rent nor lease any property to a tenant or tenants unless such property is in compliance with the New York state uniform fire prevention and building code act described in article eighteen of the executive law, specifically that utility services are made available to such dwelling. A landlord's failure to be in compliance with such act prior to rental or lease of such property, shall result in penalties pursuant to sections 145.15 and 145.20 of the penal law.
§ 2. The real property law is amended by adding a new section 235-h to read as follows:
§ 235-h. Duty of landlord to keep utility services connected in between tenants. 1. A landlord shall participate in any voluntary program offered by the utility company that services their rented or leased property that would revert all utility accounts to the landlord's name and keep utility services connected in between tenants.
2. This section shall not apply if the utility company in the rented or leased property's area does not offer such a program.
§ 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD09850-01-7
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.