Eligible households will be given a one-time rental subsidy paid directly to landlords and housing providers. The money does not have to be paid back.
Renters must apply for the special subsidy by August 13, 2020.
Applicants must meet all requirements to be eligible for the program:
-Must be a renter with a primary residence in New York State.
-Before March 1, 2020 and at the time of application, household income (including unemployment benefits) must be below 80 percent of the Area Median Income, adjusted for household size.
-Before March 1, 2020 and at the time of application, the household must have been "rent burdened," which is defined as paying more than 30 percent of gross monthly income toward rent.
-Applicants must have lost income during any period between April 1, 2020 and July 31, 2020.
-The application period will be open for two weeks. Residents can apply any time during the two-week period.
Landlords Take Note
Tenants MUST apply for the arrears. The landlord cannot apply for arrears on behalf of tenants. You should email and mail your tenants the link.
Notices such as rent demands, notices to cure can be prepared and served at this time. BUT, the petition/lawsuit cannot be filed with the court until the court begins accepting them.
Additionally, tenants without leases in unregulated apartments (Condominium, Co-Operative, Decontrolled and most apartments in buildings with 5 or less units) can't be sued for nonpayment of rent.
Holdovers must be started against these tenants.
The Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019 requires a 90 day notice of termination for tenants residing in units for more than 2 years, a 60 day notice of termination for tenants residing in units for more than 1 year but less than 2 years, and a 30 day notice of termination for tenants residing in units less than 1 year.
We advise that clients who have unregulated apartments to terminate those tenants that are not paying rent immediately.