What's happening
This bill expands small claims court jurisdiction and notice procedures to include claims by tenants against landlords related to their tenancy or lease.
Why it matters
Removes a key barrier for tenants. The bill allows tenants to bring small claims against landlords related to their lease even if the landlord doesn’t live or work in the same county, district, or city as the property—making it much easier for tenants to seek legal remedies for issues like security deposit disputes or failure to make repairs.
Expands options for service of notice. When traditional notice methods (like serving a landlord at their home or workplace) aren’t possible, tenants can now serve notices at any address where rent is or was delivered (such as a management company, PO box, or other payment address), increasing the likelihood that landlords are properly notified of claims.
Promotes access to justice for renters. By adapting court procedures to reflect the realities of modern leasing and absentee landlords, the bill makes it more practical and affordable for tenants—especially those dealing with out-of-area or corporate landlords—to pursue small monetary claims in local courts.
Could encourage more responsible landlord behavior. Knowing that it’s easier for tenants to bring local claims, landlords may be more likely to resolve issues proactively, return security deposits promptly, and comply with lease obligations, potentially improving overall housing standards.
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Who cares
Tenants and lessees
The bill would let them bring tenancy-related small claims where the rental property is located even if the owner does not live, work or maintain a business office within the court’s geographic limits.
Former tenants outside New York City
The bill would expressly extend the new property-based jurisdiction rule to their tenancy-related claims in city, district, town and village courts.
Rental property owners
Owners could face small claims based on their rental property’s location, with notices mailed to qualifying rent-payment addresses when the specified residence or workplace mailing options are unavailable.
Small claims court clerks
Clerks would apply new notice-mailing options allowing rent-payment addresses statewide for district courts and New York City Civil Court, or within the county or an adjoining county for other city courts and justice courts.
Headline styles
Expand Tenant Small Claims Rights
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
History
- Referred to rules
- Delivered to senate
- Passed assembly
- Amended on third reading 1526b
- Ordered to third reading cal.77
- Ordered to third reading rules cal.583
- Rules report cal.583
- Reported
- Reported referred to rules
- Print number 1526a
- Amend and recommit to judiciary
- Referred to judiciary
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Let Tenants Sue Landlords Locally
In Senate Committee · Rules · Sponsor Brad Hoylman-Sigal
Full text
5 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
1526--B Cal. No. 77
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 15, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. GOTTFRIED, DINOWITZ, COLTON, CAHILL, WEPRIN, D'URSO -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. BARNWELL, CARROLL, GLICK, LALOR, PERRY -- read once and referred to the Committee on Judiciary -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee -- ordered to a third reading, amended and ordered reprinted, retaining its place on the order of third reading
AN ACT to amend the uniform city court act, the uniform district court act, the uniform justice court act and the New York city civil court act, in relation to obtaining jurisdiction over certain defendants
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Section 1801 of the uniform city court act, as amended by chapter 65 of the laws of 2010, is amended to read as follows: § 1801. Small claims defined.
The term "small claim" or "small claims" as used in this act shall mean and include any cause of action for money only not in excess of five thousand dollars exclusive of interest and costs, or any action commenced by a party aggrieved by an arbitration award rendered pursuant to part 137 of the rules of the chief administrator of the courts (22 NYCRR Part 137) in which the amount in dispute does not exceed $5,000, provided that the defendant either resides, or has an office for the transaction of business or a regular employment[,] within the county, or where the claimant is or was a tenant or lessee of real property owned by the defendant and the claim relates to such tenancy or lease, and such real property is situated within the county.
§ 2. Subdivision (a) of section 1803 of the uniform city court act, as amended by chapter 309 of the laws of 1996, the opening paragraph as amended by section 1 of part B of chapter 686 of the laws of 2003, is amended to read as follows:
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD03428-06-0
A. 1526--B 2
(a) Small claims shall be commenced upon the payment by the claimant of a filing fee of fifteen dollars for claims in the amount of one thousand dollars or less and twenty dollars for claims in the amount of more than one thousand dollars, without the service of a summons and, except by special order of the court, without the service of any pleading other than a statement of his cause of action by the claimant or someone in his behalf to the clerk, who shall reduce the same to a concise, written form and record it in a docket kept especially for such purpose. Such procedure shall provide for the sending of notice of such claim by ordinary first class mail and certified mail with return receipt requested to the party complained against (1) at his residence, if he resides within the county, and his residence is known to the claimant, or (2) at his office or place of regular employment within the county if he does not reside therein or his residence within the county is not known to the claimant, or (3) where the claimant is or was a tenant or lessee of real property owned by the defendant and the claim relates to such tenancy or lease and the notice of claim cannot be sent under paragraph one or two of this subdivision, at any place in the county or an adjoining county where claimant may mail or otherwise deliver rent. If, after the expiration of twenty-one days, such ordinary first class mailing has not been returned as undeliverable, the party complained against shall be presumed to have received notice of such claim. Such notice shall include a clear description of the procedure for filing a counterclaim, pursuant to subdivision (c) of this section.
Such procedure shall further provide for an early hearing upon and determination of such claim. No filing fee, however, shall be demanded or received on small claims of employees who shall comply with § 1912 of this act which is hereby made applicable, except that necessary mailing costs shall be paid.
§ 3. Section 1801 of the uniform district court act, as amended by chapter 65 of the laws of 2010, is amended to read as follows: § 1801. Small claims defined.
The term "small claim" or "small claims" as used in this act shall mean and include any cause of action for money only not in excess of five thousand dollars exclusive of interest and costs, or any action commenced by a party aggrieved by an arbitration award rendered pursuant to part one hundred thirty-seven of the rules of the chief administrator of the courts (22 NYCRR Part 137) in which the amount in dispute does not exceed five thousand dollars, provided that the defendant either resides, or has an office for the transaction of business or a regular employment[,] within a district of the court in the county, or where the claimant is or was a tenant or lessee of real property owned by the defendant and the claim relates to such tenancy or lease, and such real property is situated within a district of the court in the county.
§ 4. Subdivision (a) of section 1803 of the uniform district court act, as amended by section 31 of part J of chapter 62 of the laws of 2003, is amended to read as follows:
(a) Small claims shall be commenced upon the payment by the claimant of a filing fee of fifteen dollars for claims in the amount of one thousand dollars or less and twenty dollars for claims in the amount of more than one thousand dollars, without the service of a summons and, except by special order of the court, without the service of any pleading other than a statement of his cause of action by the claimant or someone in his behalf to the clerk, who shall reduce the same to a concise, written form and record it in a docket kept especially for such purpose. Such procedure shall provide for the sending of notice of such claim by ordi-
A. 1526--B 3
nary first class mail and certified mail with return receipt requested to the party complained against (1) at his residence, if he resides within a district of the court in the county, and his residence is known to the claimant, or (2) at his office or place of regular employment within such a district if he does not reside therein or his residence within such a district is not known to the claimant, or (3) where claimant is or was a tenant or lessee of real property owned by the defendant and the claim relates to such tenancy or lease and the notice of claim cannot be sent under paragraph one or two of this subdivision, at any place in the state where claimant may mail or otherwise deliver rent. If, after the expiration of twenty-one days, such ordinary first class mailing has not been returned as undeliverable, the party complained against shall be presumed to have received notice of such claim. Such notice shall include a clear description of the procedure for filing a counterclaim, pursuant to subdivision (c) of this section.
Such procedure shall further provide for an early hearing upon and determination of such claim. No filing fee, however, shall be demanded or received on small claims of employees who shall comply with § 1912 (a) of this act which is hereby made applicable, except that necessary mailing costs shall be paid.
§ 5. Section 1801 of the uniform justice court act, as amended by chapter 76 of the laws of 1994, is amended to read as follows: § 1801. Small claims defined.
The term "small claim" or "small claims" as used in this act shall mean and include any cause of action for money only not in excess of three thousand dollars exclusive of interest and costs, provided that the defendant either resides, or has an office for the transaction of business or a regular employment[,] within the municipality where the court is located, or where claimant is or was a tenant or lessee of real property owned by the defendant and the claim relates to such tenancy or lease, and such real property is situated within the municipality where the court is located. However, where a judge of the county court, pursuant to subdivision (g) of section three hundred twenty-five of the civil practice law and rules, transfers a small claim from the town or village court having jurisdiction over the matter to another town or village court within the same county, the court to which it is transferred shall have jurisdiction to determine the claim.
§ 6. Subdivision (a) of section 1803 of the uniform justice court act, as amended by chapter 309 of the laws of 1996, is amended to read as follows:
(a) Small claims shall be commenced upon the payment by the claimant of a filing fee of ten dollars for claims in the amount of one thousand dollars or less and fifteen dollars for claims in the amount of more than one thousand dollars, without the service of a summons and, except by special order of the court, without the service of any pleading other than a statement of his cause of action by the claimant or someone in his behalf to the clerk, who shall reduce the same to a concise, written form and record it in a filing system maintained especially for such purpose. Such procedure shall provide for the sending of notice of such claim by ordinary first class mail and certified mail with return receipt requested to the party complained against (1) at his residence, if he resides within the county and his residence is known to the claimant, [or] (2) at his office or place of regular employment within the municipality if he does not reside within the county or his residence within the county is not known to the claimant, or (3) where claimant is or was a tenant or lessee of real property owned by the defendant and
A. 1526--B 4
the claim relates to such tenancy or lease and the notice of claim cannot be sent under paragraph one or two of this subdivision, at any place in the county or an adjoining county where claimant may mail or otherwise deliver rent. If, after the expiration of twenty-one days, such ordinary first class mailing has not been returned as undeliverable, the party complained against shall be presumed to have received notice of such claim. Such notice shall include a clear description of the procedure for filing a counterclaim, pursuant to subdivision (c) of this section.
Such procedure shall further provide for an early hearing upon and determination of such claim. No filing fee, however, shall be demanded or received on small claims of employees who shall comply with section nineteen hundred twelve of this act which is hereby made applicable, except that necessary mailing costs shall be paid.
§ 7. Section 1801 of the New York city civil court act, as amended by chapter 664 of the laws of 2019, is amended to read as follows:
§ 1801. Small claims defined. The term "small claim" or "small claims" as used in this act shall mean and include any cause of action for money only not in excess of ten thousand dollars exclusive of interest and costs, or any action commenced by a party aggrieved by an arbitration award rendered pursuant to part 137 of the rules of the chief administrator of the courts (22 NYCRR Part 137) in which the amount in dispute does not exceed ten thousand dollars, provided that the defendant either resides, or has an office for the transaction of business or a regular employment[,] within the city of New York, or where claimant is a tenant or lessee of real property owned by the defendant and the claim relates to such tenancy or lease, and such real property is situated within the city of New York.
§ 8. Subdivision (a) of section 1803 of the New York city civil court act, as amended by section 34 of part J of chapter 62 of the laws of 2003, is amended to read as follows:
(a) Small claims shall be commenced upon the payment by the claimant of a filing fee of fifteen dollars for claims in the amount of one thousand dollars or less and twenty dollars for claims in the amount of more than one thousand dollars, without the service of a summons and, except by special order of the court, without the service of any pleading other than a statement of his cause of action by the claimant or someone in his behalf to the clerk, who shall reduce the same to a concise, written form and record it in a docket kept especially for such purpose. Such procedure shall provide for the sending of notice of such claim by ordinary first class mail and certified mail with return receipt requested to the party complained against (1) at his residence, if he resides within the city of New York, and his residence is known to the claimant, [or] (2) at his office or place of regular employment within the city of New York if he does not reside therein or his residence within the city of New York is not known to the claimant, or (3) where claimant is or was a tenant or lessee of real property owned by the defendant and the claim relates to such tenancy or lease and the notice of claim cannot be sent under paragraph one or two of this subdivision, at any place in the state where plaintiff may mail or otherwise deliver rent. If, after the expiration of twenty-one days, such ordinary first class mailing has not been returned as undeliverable, the party complained against shall be presumed to have received notice of such claim. Such notice shall include a clear description of the procedure for filing a counterclaim, pursuant to subdivision (c) of this section.
A. 1526--B 5
Such procedure shall further provide for an early hearing upon and determination of such claim. No filing fee, however, shall be demanded or received on small claims of employees who shall comply with § 1912 (a) of this act which is hereby made applicable, except that necessary mailing costs shall be paid.
§ 9. This act shall take effect on the first of September next succeeding the date on which it shall have become a law.
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
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