Grants legal services to certain small property owners

Latest action Jan 7, 2026

Provides that any small property owner that owns twenty units or less shall be entitled to free legal services if such small property owner can prove a loss of at least twenty percent of rent payments in a calendar year; defines "small property owner" as any lessor in a residential real property transaction, and includes an owner of twenty units or less who lists residential real property for lease with an agent, whether or not a lease results, or who receives an offer to lease twenty units of residential real property or less.

Not chosen yet

Where it stands

Out of committee and scheduled for a vote by the full chamber.

Introduced
In committee
Up for a vote
Passed one chamber
Passed
Enacted

New York State Senate

Same as A1300, the matching bill in the Assembly.

Committee

Cities 1 · New York State Senate

Also referred to Judiciary · New York State Assembly, Judiciary · New York State Senate.

Purpose, from the sponsor's memo

This bill will serve to ensure that counsel is provided to small proper- ty owners who can prove losses of twenty percent or more in a calendar year

Filed with the bill. Read it on nysenate.gov (opens in a new tab)

Recorded votes

Vote: Committee vote · Cities 1
Senate Cities 1Jan 28, 2025Result: passed
(7) (0) (0) (0)

Cosponsors

Anthony H. Palumbo, Jessica Scarcella-Spanton and 2 more on Agora

Democratic3
Republican1

See the full list on nysenate.gov

The sponsor's argument

Why Leroy Comrie says this is needed

The housing crisis in New York is not limited to tenants and residents of real property. This bill will ensure that those real property owners who have operated independently for years are able to access much needed legal counsel to resolve disputes related to all issues from rent non- payment to foreclosure. That includes property owners facing foreclo- sure, evicting tenants who do not provide payment, and ensuring rent payments can be collected by tenants in order to continue paying the mortgage. In the absence of remedies found by federal, state, or local governments, we continue to see a growing wealth gap in real property ownership. This provision is essential to maintaining real property ownership by the middle-class.

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.

Full history

Jan 7, 2026
Referred to committee
REFERRED TO CITIES 1
NY Senate
Jan 7, 2026
Referred to committee
REFERRED TO JUDICIARY
NY Assembly
Jan 28, 2025
Reported out of committee
REPORTED AND COMMITTED TO FINANCE
NY Senate
Jan 9, 2025
Referred to committee
REFERRED TO JUDICIARY
NY Assembly
Jan 8, 2025
Referred to committee
REFERRED TO CITIES 1
NY Senate

About this record

Summary: The summary comes from NY Open Legislation, the New York State Senate's public record. For more, see How we handle summaries.
Cosponsors: The list shows the cosponsors who are on Agora, A to Z. The official record may list more.
Party colors: Parties are shown in the same neutral colors.
Source: From NY Open Legislation, the NY Senate and Assembly, and official rosters. This record was last updated Oct 30, 2026. About our data

Read the record

Read on NY Senate (opens in a new tab) The official record on nysenate.gov.

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