What's happening
The Roomers' Rights Protection Act requires landlords in New York City who lease individual rooms to keep utilities in their own name and include utility costs in rent.
Why it matters
Protects roomers from utility shutoffs and surprise bills. by ensuring landlords—not tenants—are responsible for utility accounts and payments, reducing the risk that a roomer could lose heat, water, or electricity due to a landlord’s nonpayment or be unexpectedly billed for shared utilities.
Strengthens legal protections for vulnerable tenants. by prohibiting landlords from having tenants waive their rights to a jury trial or other tenant legal protections in lease agreements, specifically for disputes relating to housing conditions or landlord-tenant law.
Empowers tenants in legal disputes. by allowing successful roomers in court cases against landlords (for violations of these rules) to recover attorney’s fees and costs, making it easier for tenants to pursue justice without the barrier of legal expenses.
Albany, before your first meeting.
Every bill that moved yesterday, summarized in a sentence and ranked by impact. The Albany Scorecard follows on Sundays.
Free. Unsubscribe in one click. Want alerts on specific bills? Create an account.
Who cares
Headline styles
Protect Roomers' Utility Rights
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
7 Co-sponsors
1 Multi-sponsor
History
- Referred to housing
- Referred to housing
Full text
2 pagesUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
96
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY (Prefiled)
January 9, 2019
Introduced by M. of A. PERRY, WALKER, ARROYO, HUNTER, JEAN-PIERRE, GOTT- FRIED, HYNDMAN, TITUS -- Multi-Sponsored by -- M. of A. BLAKE -- read once and referred to the Committee on Housing
AN ACT to amend the real property law, in relation to enacting the roomers' rights protection act
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. This act shall be known and may be cited as the "roomers' rights protection act".
§ 2. The real property law is amended by adding a new section 231-b to read as follows:
§ 231-b. Utility services for residential rooming leases. 1. Every landlord that apportions a residence and leases individual rooms to roomers where utility services, including, but not limited to, heat, electricity, and water are shared and are not individually measured, shall:
a. place all utility meters in the landlord's name;
b. enter into an individual lease with each roomer; and
c. provide on the lease the name and contact information for each utility service provider providing services to the roomer's premises.
2. Where services are shared, a landlord shall not require a roomer to list the meter for such services in his or her name and the cost of such utilities shall be deemed to be included in the rent.
3. a. A tenant shall not be required by lease, other document or oral agreement to waive his or her right to a trial by jury or any other legal rights that he or she would be entitled to as a tenant in the state of New York in the event the tenant becomes involved with a housing proceeding against the landlord based on a violation of the provisions of this section or any other law, rule or regulation governing landlord-tenant disputes.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD05250-01-9
A. 96 2
b. A tenant who is successful against the landlord in a housing proceeding based on a violation of the provisions of this section may request the award of attorney's fees, costs and disbursements associated with the proceeding.
4. The provisions of this section shall only apply in a city having a population of one million or more persons.
§ 3. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall have become a law.
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.