Full Breakdown
New York Lawmakers Push Three Tenant Protection Bills
5/13/2026, 4:40:58 AM
Legislative Proposals
Democratic legislators introduced three bills: the Statewide Right to Counsel (S6772/A4669) would establish a New York State Office of Civil Representation to supply free counsel to eligible tenants, require 14-day notice of the right to counsel, and force a 30-day trial postponement if a tenant appears without counsel; the Clean Hands Act (S4098A/A1621) would bar landlords with documented, uncorrected code violations from filing evictions, mandating dismissal of cases where violations are concealed; and the Winter Eviction Moratorium (S9090/A10121) would prohibit residential evictions from Nov. 1 to Apr. 15 while allowing landlords to collect rent at the legal rate.
Scale of Evictions
Advocates cite roughly 175,000 active eviction cases statewide, nearly 160,000 people experiencing homelessness, and 850,000 household lawsuits filed between Jan 2020 and Dec 2025, including over 164,000 in 2025 alone. Seventeen New Yorkers died from exposure during a February cold snap, highlighting winter-eviction risks.
Advocates and Official Responses
Assemblymember Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn (Brooklyn) co-sponsored the Right to Counsel bill and warned that courts currently favor property owners. State Senator Jabari Brisport (Harlem) sponsored the winter moratorium, framing housing as a human right. Tenant advocate Bibiana Mancero recounted an eviction in December 2010 that required walking with her children through deep snow. The Right to Counsel NY Coalition organized the Albany rally and supplied the eviction data cited above. The coalition demanded passage of the bills.
Criticism & Gaps
Critics note that the bills preserve landlords’ right to collect rent during the moratorium and allow evictions for tenant-created hazards, limiting their protective reach. The eviction figures are supplied by the Right to Counsel NY Coalition; the sources do not cite independent state verification, indicating a data gap.
On-the-Ground Account
Mancero described three winter evictions, including one where she and her children walked through nearly 20 inches of snow to attend court, underscoring the personal impact of eviction proceedings.
Verbatim Quotes
- “Landlords walk into the courts with attorney law,” — Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, Assemblymember
- “It is outrageous that a landlord can ignore hazard violations,” — Rodneyse Bichotte Hermelyn, Assemblymember
- “If housing is a human right, then you cannot remove that roof from somebody’s head in the cold, either.” — Jabari Brisport, State Senator
- “walking with my kids in almost 20 inches of snow.” — Bibiana Mancero, NYC tenant advocate
What’s Next
The three bills remain pending before the New York State Legislature.
