Eviction Actions May Proceed

The New York courts suspended eviction proceedings as a result of the pandemic in March 2020. While the courts have accepted new filings from landlords since June 2020, new proceedings commenced after March 2020 were suspended throughout the summer and early fall. That suspension is now over. Starting October 12, 2020, the New York courts began allowing all landlord-tenant proceedings to resume, but “with important caveats” based on federal and state emergency relief orders. These include, among others, (1) the Tenant Safe Harbor Act, which provides a defense to tenants who experienced financial hardship as a result of the pandemic; (2) Executive Order 202.66, which extends the protections of the Safe Harbor Act to additional tenants; (3) the CDC eviction moratorium; and (4) Executive Order 202.67, which extends the deadline to answer an eviction petition.

Tenants served with an eviction petition should contact Nassau Suffolk Law Services to see if they are eligible for free assistance. An FAQ for tenants on the status of eviction proceedings is available here.