S 7781: Provides penalties when a landlord of a residential premises refuses to rent to a potential tenant on the basis that the potential tenant was involved in a past or pending landlord-tenant action or summary proceeding.
The bill aims to provide remedies for tenants who have been unfairly denied rent due to their involvement in a prior dispute with a landlord. Tenants who are injured by such a violation can bring an action in the supreme court for temporary and permanent injunctive relief and damages, including attorney's fees. The action can be brought within two years of when the tenant should reasonably have discovered the violation and can be brought against the landlord or their agent/employee. A person can commence an action under this provision regardless of whether they have reported the violation to the attorney general. The commencement of an action does not preclude the attorney general from bringing an action for injunctive relief and civil penalties. The bill takes effect immediately.
- What is the current status of S 7781?
- As of September 28, 2025, S 7781 is recorded as "Introduced": it has been introduced and is waiting for its first committee hearing or floor vote. The last recorded action, on May 6, 2025, was "REFERRED TO JUDICIARY".
- Did S 7781 pass?
- Not yet. S 7781 has been introduced and has not passed either house.
- Who wrote S 7781, and where is it now?
- S 7781 was authored by Sen. Brad Hoylman-Sigal. Its committee of record is Senate Judiciary.
| May. 06, 2025 | REFERRED TO JUDICIARY |
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________ 7781 2025-2026 Regular Sessions IN SENATE May 6, 2025 ___________ Introduced by Sen. HOYLMAN-SIGAL -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Judiciary AN ACT to amend the real property law, in relation to remedies for a violation of the prohibition on a landlord from refusing to rent due to a tenant's involvement in a prior dispute The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows: 1 Section 1. Section 227-f of the real property law is amended by adding 2 a new subdivision 3 to read as follows: 3 3. (a) Any potential tenant injured by reason of a violation of subdi- 4 vision one of this section may bring an action in the supreme court for 5 temporary and permanent injunctive relief and for damages together with 6 the costs of the action, including reasonable attorney's fees. 7 (b) An action under this subdivision may be brought within two years 8 of when a tenant should reasonably have discovered a violation and may 9 be brought against the landlord or their agent or employee or any other 10 person charged or authorized to lease the relevant residential premise. 11 (c) A person may commence an action under this subdivision whether or 12 not they have reported the violation to the attorney general. 13 (d) The commencement of an action under this subdivision shall not 14 preclude the attorney general from bringing an action under subdivision 15 two of this section for injunctive relief and the recovery of civil 16 penalties. 17 § 2. This act shall take effect immediately. EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [] is old law to be omitted. LBD11871-01-5