In New York, “housing court” refers to the part of the Civil Court of the City of New York, which was created in 1972 to provide a single court for all housing-related cases to be heard. With branches in all five boroughs, its main function is to process eviction proceedings by landlords to their residential tenants, and for tenants to bring cases against landlords.
Possible Housing Court Cases
Brought by landlords:
- Nonpayment (eviction) proceedings, if the landlord is seeking rent owed to them by a tenant, as well as a legal order from the court that if the tenant does not pay they will be evicted.
- Holdover proceedings, if the landlord is seeking to evict a tenant for a reason other than nonpayment; things like their lease expiring, the tenant failing to comply with the terms of their lease, the tenant using the residence for an illegal purpose, or a person other than the tenant on the lease is occupying the residence.
Brought by tenants:
- Request for repair proceedings, if the landlord needs to be legally forced to make repairs or correct violations within the residence that are not up to code.
- Illegal eviction proceedings, if a tenant has been illegally locked out by the landlord; in which they request the court to order the landlord to let the tenant back into the residence until a proper eviction is performed.
- Administrative appointing proceedings, if at least one-third of the tenants in a residence or the Department of Housing Preservation and Development asks the court to replace the building owner due to the presence of dangerous conditions to the lives, health, or safety of occupants.
Legal Support for Housing Issues
If you have an issue that needs to be taken to housing court, are being taken to housing court by your landlord, or simply have a housing-related issue, we can help. As a member of IDG Legal, you have access to a lawyer skilled in housing and landlord/tenant issues, for free.
To learn more about this benefit, tap here. To fill out a form for immediate assistance, tap below.
