S T A T E O F N E W Y O R K
________________________________________________________________________
6386
2023-2024 Regular Sessions
I N S E N A T E
April 18, 2023
___________
Introduced by Sen. COMRIE -- read twice and ordered printed, and when
printed to be committed to the Committee on Cities 1
AN ACT to amend the administrative code of the city of New York and the
real property actions and proceedings law, in relation to granting
legal services to small property owners
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:
Section 1. Section 26-1301 of the administrative code of the city of
New York, as added by local law number 131 for the year 2017, is amended
by adding a twelfth undesignated paragraph to read as follows:
"SMALL PROPERTY OWNER" SHALL MEAN ANY LESSOR IN A RESIDENTIAL REAL
PROPERTY TRANSACTION, AND INCLUDES AN OWNER OF TWENTY UNITS OR LESS WHO
LISTS RESIDENTIAL REAL PROPERTY FOR LEASE WITH AN AGENT, WHETHER OR NOT
A LEASE RESULTS, OR WHO RECEIVES AN OFFER TO LEASE TWENTY UNITS OF RESI-
DENTIAL REAL PROPERTY OR LESS IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK.
§ 2. Section 26-1303 of the administrative code of the city of New
York is amended by adding a new subdivision e to read as follows:
E. ANY SMALL PROPERTY OWNER SHALL BE ENTITLED TO FREE LEGAL SERVICES
IF SUCH SMALL PROPERTY OWNER CAN PROVE A LOSS OF AT LEAST TWENTY PERCENT
OF RENT PAYMENTS IN A CALENDAR YEAR.
§ 3. The real property actions and proceedings law is amended by
adding a new section 703 to read as follows:
§ 703. SMALL PROPERTY OWNER; LEGAL SERVICES. ANY SMALL PROPERTY OWNER
SHALL BE ENTITLED TO FREE LEGAL SERVICES IF SUCH SMALL PROPERTY OWNER
CAN PROVE A LOSS OF AT LEAST TWENTY PERCENT OF RENT PAYMENTS IN A CALEN-
DAR YEAR. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, "SMALL PROPERTY OWNER"
SHALL MEAN ANY LESSOR IN A RESIDENTIAL REAL PROPERTY TRANSACTION, AND
INCLUDES AN OWNER OF TWENTY UNITS OR LESS WHO LISTS RESIDENTIAL REAL
PROPERTY FOR LEASE WITH AN AGENT, WHETHER OR NOT A LEASE RESULTS, OR WHO
RECEIVES AN OFFER TO LEASE TWENTY UNITS OF RESIDENTIAL REAL PROPERTY OR
LESS.
EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD10801-03-3
S. 6386 2
§ 4. The real property actions and proceedings law is amended by
adding a new section 770-a to read as follows:
§ 770-A. SMALL PROPERTY OWNER; LEGAL SERVICES. ANY SMALL PROPERTY
OWNER SHALL BE ENTITLED TO FREE LEGAL SERVICES IF SUCH SMALL PROPERTY
OWNER CAN PROVE A LOSS OF AT LEAST TWENTY PERCENT OF RENT PAYMENTS IN A
CALENDAR YEAR. FOR THE PURPOSES OF THIS SECTION, "SMALL PROPERTY OWNER"
SHALL MEAN ANY LESSOR IN A RESIDENTIAL REAL PROPERTY TRANSACTION, AND
INCLUDES AN OWNER OF TWENTY UNITS OR LESS WHO LISTS RESIDENTIAL REAL
PROPERTY FOR LEASE WITH AN AGENT, WHETHER OR NOT A LEASE RESULTS, OR WHO
RECEIVES AN OFFER TO LEASE TWENTY UNITS OF RESIDENTIAL REAL PROPERTY OR
LESS.
§ 5. This act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
have become a law.