State Guide
Landlord–tenant law in New York
The rules that come up in practice — returning a deposit, charging a late fee, raising the rent — each read against the New York statute and quoted on its own page.
Security deposit return
Full rule →14 days
The 1st shortest of 49 states with a deadline.
N.Y. Gen. Oblig. Law 7-108(e)
Late fee limit
Full rule →Lesser of $50 or 5% of the monthly rent
No fee until rent is 5 days late.
N.Y. Real Prop. Law 238-a(2)
Rent increase notice
Full rule →30 days
A statute written specifically about rent increases. The 4th shortest of 49.
N.Y. Real Prop. Law 226-c
What is distinctive about New York
- Deposits: 14 days. Missing the deadline forfeits the right to retain any part of the deposit.
- Late fees: capped at lesser of $50 or 5% of the monthly rent. A 5-day grace period is mandatory.
- Rent increases: 30 days under a statute written for the purpose.
The mistake that costs the most here
Charging a late fee above New York’s cap. The clause is void rather than reduced, and the tenant’s signature does not save it — which tends to surface in an eviction hearing, exactly when the lease needs to hold up.
Where these figures come from
Each rule above was read against the section it cites and the statutory wording is quoted on the dedicated page, so you can check it rather than take our word for it. That matters more than it sounds on this subject: when we read all 51 jurisdictions we found several widely-published figures to be wrong, including a Kentucky deposit deadline that does not exist, a South Dakota one reported as 14 days when the statute says 21, and late-fee caps for nine states that actually come from their self-storage statutes.
Local ordinances can add requirements the state does not, and statutes move — Washington, Connecticut, Nevada, Rhode Island and Maryland have all changed in the last three years. Each figure carries the date we read it.
States with the same deposit deadline
Common questions about New York
- How long does a New York landlord have to return a security deposit?
- 14 days under N.Y. Gen. Oblig. Law 7-108(e).
- What is the maximum late fee in New York?
- lesser of $50 or 5% of the monthly rent, under N.Y. Real Prop. Law 238-a(2). A fee above the cap is unenforceable even if the lease says otherwise.
- How much notice before a rent increase in New York?
- 30 days under N.Y. Real Prop. Law 226-c.
- Does New York have rent control?
- No statewide frequency limit is verified for New York. Only California, Oregon and Washington cap the amount of an increase statewide; some cities do so locally.
Let the software know the New York rules
Pacific Rentals Pro checks a lease’s late fee against the New York cap, counts the deposit deadline from the move-out date, and works out the latest day to serve a rent increase. Same verified data as this page.
Start free →New York rules last read against their cited sources on November 6, 2026. General information, not legal advice — verify the current text before relying on it, and check your city and county, which can impose more than the state does.