Bill Text: NY A09847 | 2015-2016 | General Assembly | Introduced

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Bill Title: Enacts the roomers' rights protection act.

Spectrum: Partisan Bill (Democrat 10-0)

Status: (Introduced - Dead) 2016-04-15 - referred to housing [A09847 Detail]

Download: New_York-2015-A09847-Introduced.html

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                STATE OF NEW YORK
        ________________________________________________________________________
                                          9847
                   IN ASSEMBLY
                                     April 15, 2016
                                       ___________
        Introduced  by M. of A. PERRY -- read once and referred to the Committee
          on Housing
        AN ACT to amend the real property law, in relation to enacting the room-
          ers' rights protection act
          The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and  Assem-
        bly, do enact as follows:
     1    Section  1.  This act shall be known and may be cited as the "roomers'
     2  rights protection act".
     3    § 2. The real property law is amended by adding a new section 231-b to
     4  read as follows:
     5    § 231-b. Utility services for residential  rooming  leases.  1.  Every
     6  landlord  that  apportions  a  residence  and leases individual rooms to
     7  roomers where utility services, including, but  not  limited  to,  heat,
     8  electricity,  and  water  are  shared and are not individually measured,
     9  shall:
    10    a. place all utility meters in the landlord's name;
    11    b. enter into an individual lease with each roomer; and
    12    c. provide on the lease the name  and  contact  information  for  each
    13  utility service provider providing services to the roomer's premises.
    14    2. Where services are shared, a landlord shall not require a roomer to
    15  list the meter for such services in his or her name and the cost of such
    16  utilities shall be deemed to be included in the rent.
    17    3.  a. A tenant shall not be required by lease, other document or oral
    18  agreement to waive his or her right to a trial  by  jury  or  any  other
    19  legal  rights  that  he  or  she would be entitled to as a tenant in the
    20  state of New York in the event the tenant becomes involved with a  hous-
    21  ing  proceeding  against  the  landlord  based  on  a  violation  of the
    22  provisions of this section or any other law, rule or regulation  govern-
    23  ing landlord-tenant disputes.
    24    b.  A  tenant  who  is  successful  against  the landlord in a housing
    25  proceeding based on a violation of the provisions of  this  section  may
    26  request the award of attorney's fees, costs and disbursements associated
    27  with the proceeding.
         EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                              [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                                   LBD14202-05-6