In their Housing Litigation Column, Adam Leitman Bailey and Dov Treiman write: As a general rule of thumb, when there is a definitive appellate pronouncement on a principle of law in one judicial department and the other departments are silent, the other departments will follow the departments who have spoken to the issue. However, this Full Article…
The Sound and the Fury: Noise in Rentals, Co-ops and Condos
By Adam Leitman Bailey and Dov Treiman As New York City experiences ever denser housing, the problems with noise laws resound ever more clearly. The noise has gotten louder for many reasons. First more families have chosen to reside in this city and one of the loudest and unrepresented group of violators has been screaming Full Article…
Residential Leases Now Require Sprinklers
By Adam Leitman Bailey Effective December 3, 2014, all residential leases in New York State now require a notice to residential tenants about the presence of absence of sprinkler systems in the “leased premises.” The new law, however, while defining what a sprinkler system is, does not define what a “lease” is or what “premises” Full Article…
Understanding Single-Room Occupancy Laws – Part II
By Adam Leitman Bailey and Dov Treiman Part II Certificate of No Harassment The obtainment of a certificate of no harassment is the gateway into turning a highly regulated, alteration-prohibited building into a free-market class A multiple dwelling. It should be noted that even after a certificate is granted, any current tenants retain their rent-regulated Full Article…
Understanding Single-Room Occupancy Laws – Part I
By Adam Leitman Bailey and Dov Treiman Part I Single-room occupancy housing, or more commonly called SROs, exist throughout New York City. When purchasing such a dwelling without the proper paperwork, you will not be able to obtain a permit to do renovations, a buyer cannot evict the residents who are rent-regulated tenants, and the Full Article…
Old and New Loft Law Rules: What You Need to Know
January 20, 2016 By Adam Leitman Bailey and Dov Treiman Q: What is a loft? A: The word “loft” has no legal meaning. The word “loft” is used in several laws and in the naming of The New York City Loft Board which was set up for the purpose of taking illegal residential tenancies in Full Article…
Understanding Single-Room Occupancy Laws
February 10, 2016 Single-room occupancy housing, or more commonly called SROs, exist throughout New York City. When purchasing such a dwelling without the proper paperwork, you will not be able to obtain a permit to do renovations, a buyer cannot evict the residents who are rent-regulated tenants, and the owner may be required to maintain Full Article…
The Rules for Allowing Pets in ‘No-Pet’ Buildings
April 13th, 2016 By Adam Leitman Bailey and John M. Desiderio When determining whether an owner’s pet qualifies for admittance in no pet buildings, cooperatives and condominiums must be extremely careful to follow the federal, state, and city fair housing laws governing how far a board can go when investigating and denying an animal’s entrance. Full Article…