Requires landlords to replace a lock on a tenant's dwelling door within 24 hours of an alleged domestic violence incident; provides civil penalties for violations in relation thereto.
STATE OF NEW YORK
________________________________________________________________________
1640
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN ASSEMBLY
January 10, 2025
___________
Introduced by M. of A. ROSENTHAL, TAYLOR -- read once and referred to
the Committee on Housing
AN ACT to amend the real property law and the multiple dwelling law, in
relation to requiring landlords to replace a lock on a tenant's door
when domestic violence is alleged
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem-bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The real property law is amended by adding a new section
2 238-b to read as follows:
3 § 238-b. Rights of tenants to a new door lock when domestic violence
4 is alleged. 1. A tenant who has a lock installed and maintained by the
5 landlord in the entrance door of their dwelling and is a victim of an
6 alleged domestic violence incident may request such lock be replaced
7 within twenty-four hours of such alleged domestic violence incident. Any
8 such landlord who receives a request pursuant to this subdivision shall
9 comply with the request within twenty-four hours of such alleged domes-
10 tic violence incident. Proof of an alleged domestic violence incident
11 shall include but not be limited to a police report, a restraining order
12 or any other court document or signed attestation alleging a domestic
13 violence incident involving the tenant.
14 2. A landlord who violates the provisions of this section shall be
15 subject to a civil penalty in an amount to be as follows:
16 (a) one hundred dollars for failure to replace such lock within twen-
17 ty-four hours of the alleged domestic violence incident;
18 (b) two hundred fifty dollars for failure to replace such lock within
19 forty-eight hours of the alleged domestic violence incident; and
20 (c) five hundred dollars for each subsequent twenty-four hours after
21 the initial forty-eight hours since the alleged domestic violence inci-
22 dent until such lock is replaced.
23 § 2. Section 51-c of the multiple dwelling law, as added by chapter
24 806 of the laws of 1968, is amended to read as follows:
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[] is old law to be omitted.
LBD03946-01-5
A. 1640 2
1 § 51-c. Rights of tenants to install and maintain locks in certain
2 entrance doors. 1. Every tenant of a multiple dwelling, except a tenant
3 of a multiple dwelling under the supervision and control of a municipal
4 housing authority, occupied by [him] such tenant, except as a hotel or
5 motel, or college or school dormitory, shall have the right to install
6 and maintain or cause to be installed and maintained in the entrance
7 door of [his] their particular housing unit in such multiple dwelling, a
8 lock, separate and apart from any lock installed and maintained by the
9 owner of such multiple dwelling, not more than three inches in circum-
10 ference, as an ordinary incident to [his] their tenancy, provided that a
11 duplicate key to such lock shall be supplied to the landlord or [his]
12 such landlord's agent upon [his] request; and every provision of any
13 lease hereafter made or entered into which reserves or provides for the
14 payment by such tenant of any additional rent, bonus, fee or other
15 charge or any other thing of value for the right or privilege of
16 installing and/or maintaining any such lock, shall be deemed to be void
17 as against public policy and wholly unenforceable.
18 2. (a) A tenant who has a lock installed and maintained by the owner
19 of a multiple dwelling in the entrance door of their particular housing
20 unit in such multiple dwelling, except a tenant of a multiple dwelling
21 under the supervision and control of a municipal housing authority, and
22 is a victim of an alleged domestic violence incident may request such
23 lock be replaced within twenty-four hours of such alleged domestic
24 violence incident. Any such owner of a multiple dwelling who receives a
25 request pursuant to this subdivision shall comply with the request with-
26 in twenty-four hours of such alleged domestic violence incident. Proof
27 of an alleged domestic violence incident shall include but not be limit-
28 ed to a police report, a restraining order or any other court document
29 or signed attestation alleging a domestic violence incident involving a
30 tenant.
31 (b) An owner of a multiple dwelling who violates the provisions of
32 this subdivision shall be subject to a civil penalty in an amount to be
33 as follows:
34 (i) one hundred dollars for failure to replace such lock within twen-
35 ty-four hours of the alleged domestic violence incident;
36 (ii) two hundred fifty dollars for failure to replace such lock within
37 forty-eight hours of the alleged domestic violence incident; and
38 (iii) five hundred dollars for each subsequent twenty-four hours after
39 the initial forty-eight hours since the alleged domestic violence inci-
40 dent until such lock is replaced.
41 § 3. This act shall take effect immediately.
