Housing Frequently Asked Questions
(Separate Website)
This resource provides answers to common questions regarding housing issues in NYC.
By: Legal Aid Society
Read this in:
Spanish / Español
Online NYC Nonpayment Tenant Answer Program
This on-line, interactive program will give you information and help you prepare to answer a New York City nonpayment petition if you live in rent-stabilized or NYCHA housing.
By: Civil Court of the City of New York, with LAWNY
Other Formats:
Separate Website
Eviction Prevention and Emergency Shelter This booklet provides information on your rights if you have rent arrears and your landlord is trying to evict you.
By: The Children's Aid Society
Read this in:
Spanish / Español
How to Prepare for a Landlord-Tenant Trial
(Separate Website)
A guide to what you can expect during a landlord-tenant trial, and how you can prepare yourself if you do not have a lawyer.
By: Civil Court of the City of New York
Tenant's Guide to Housing Court
(Separate Website)
General information for tenants about housing court and housing cases.
By: City Bar Justice Center
Military Service and Evictions: Protections for Tenants who May be Serving in the Military
A summary of the rules and procedures involving military service and evictions, with information on how this may also affect tenants who are not in the military.
By: Legal Services NYC - Legal Support Unit
Read this in:
French / Français
INTERACTIVE FORM: Tenant Affidavit to Vacate a Default Judgment
(Separate Website)
This free and easy program will ask you questions and make papers that help you tell a judge why you missed your court date or didn?t answer a petition in a New York City nonpayment or holdover case. When you finish the program, you can print a paper called an ?Affidavit in Support of an Order to Show Cause,? which you must give to the Clerk in the Housing Court. The papers ask the judge to let you come back to court. You should only use this program if there is a judgment against you.
To access this interactive form click on the "Go to form" tab.
By: NYC Housing Court
Stopping Your Eviction
(Separate Website)
Information on what steps to take to try to stop your eviction if you have been served with a marshal's notice.
By: South Brooklyn Legal Services (A Program of Legal Services NYC)
Read this in:
Haitian Creole / Kreyòl ayisyen
,
Russian / Pусский
,
Spanish / Español
Did You Get an Eviction Notice from your Landlord?
Information for tenants who are being threatened with eviction.
By: Goddard-Riverside Community Center - West Side SRO Law Project
Protect Your Legal Rights by Making a Lease Request
Information for SRO, rooming house and hotel tenants on how to protect your legal rights by making a request for a lease.
By: Goddard-Riverside Community Center - West Side SRO Law Project
Read this in:
Spanish / Español
A Tenant's Guide to NYC Pet Laws
(Separate Website)
Tenant Information on Non-Payment Cases: Answering a Non-Payment Petition
(Separate Website)
Information on what steps to take after you have received a non-payment petition/dispossess.
By: City-Wide Task Force on Housing Court
Read this in:
Chinese / 中文
,
French / Français
,
Hindi / हिन्दी
,
Russian / Pусский
,
Spanish / Español
Top Ten Mistakes Tenants Make in Housing Court
(Separate Website)
Information on what to avoid if you are a tenant involved in a nonpayment case in Housing Court.
By: South Brooklyn Legal Services (A Program of Legal Services NYC)
What is Jiggetts?
(Separate Website)
Questions and answers about "Jiggetts", including who may be eligible, what the rules are, and how it works.
By: South Brooklyn Legal Services (A Program of Legal Services NYC)
Jiggetts/FEPS Providers Listing of Jiggetts/FEPS providers
By: Legal Aid Society
Read this in:
Spanish / Español
Holdover Proceedings
(Separate Website)
This fact sheet has general information about eviction cases that are brought for reasons other than nonpayment of rent, including possible defenses to such a case.
By: City-Wide Task Force on Housing Court
How do I Keep My NYCHA Apartment?
(Separate Website)
Information on the steps that you can take to avoid being evicted from your Housing Authority home because of the misconduct of someone who lives with you.
By: MFY Legal Services, Inc.
Read this in:
Spanish / Español
How Do I Handle Housing Authority Termination-of-Tenancy Problems?
(Separate Website)
Information on when the Housing Authority can try to terminate (end) your tenancy, and what you can do to try to keep from losing your home in such cases.
By: MFY Legal Services, Inc.
Read this in:
Spanish / Español
Companion Animals in NYC Apartments
(Separate Website)
Information concerning your legal rights to keep pets in your apartment, whether you live in private housing or a Housing Authority apartment.
By: City Bar Justice Center
The Only Person Who Can Evict You From An Adult Home is a Judge
(Separate Website)
If you live in an adult home and may have to spend some time at the hospital, here is some information about your rights.
By: MFY Legal Services, Inc.
What You Can Do About Illegal Evictions
(Separate Website)
This fact sheet explains what an illegal eviction is, and describes what steps you can take if you have been illegally evicted.
By: South Brooklyn Legal Services (A Program of Legal Services NYC)
Tenants: Don't Move
Information on how to protect yourself against illegal evictions.
By: Goddard-Riverside Community Center - West Side SRO Law Project
Read this in:
French / Français
,
Spanish / Español
Tenant Rules to Remember
Important information for tenants about illegal evictions and other unlawful landlord acts.
By: Goddard-Riverside Community Center - West Side SRO Law Project
Homeless Families: Know Your Rights Information for homeless families about your rights to benefits and assistance.
By: Legal Aid Society: Homeless Rights Project
Read this in:
Spanish / Español
Homeless: Family Services
(Separate Website)
Information from the City for homeless families on where to go for help, who is eligible for assistance and what to bring.
By: New York City Department of Homeless Services
Homeless: Single Adult Services
(Separate Website)
Information from the City on where to go if you are a single adult and homeless and need shelter, and what to expect when you get there.
By: New York City Department of Homeless Services
Basic Welfare Benefits for Homeless Families
This fact sheet has information on what welfare benefits you should be receiving if your family is homeless.
By: City Bar Justice Center
Assistance for Homeless Veterans
(Separate Website)
Information about what help is available to homeless veterans.
By: Department of Veteran's Affairs
Read this in:
Spanish / Español
Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA)
(Separate Website)
Common questions and answers for reservists, guardsmen and other military personnel about mortgage payment relief and protection from foreclosure provided by the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (formerly known as The Soldiers' and Sailors' Civil Relief Act of 1940)
By: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Military Service Personnel Have Rights Affecting Real Estate Contracts
(Separate Website)
Explains the rights that Military Service Personnel have in real estate contracts such as apartment leases and mortgage contracts.
By: Staff Judge Advocate to the US Marine Corps
How to Get a Place Called Home: A handbook to help people with HIV/AIDS find housing in NYC
(Separate Website)
Written by Bailey House & CARES, this pamphlet helps people living with HIV/AIDS find housing in New York City. It includes a special section for ex-offenders seeking housing.
By: New York State Department of Health
HUD in New York (English and Spanish)
(Separate Website)
Visit this website to get up to date news on housing developments in New York State and services available. This website is also available in Spanish.
By: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Read this in:
Spanish / Español
Help for Homeowners in Foreclosure
(Separate Website)
If you have trouble affording your mortgage, this page from the N.Y. State Banking Dept. offers assistance via a consumer help hotline and housing counselor program.
By: New York State Banking Department
How to Answer a Foreclosure Complaint
(Separate Website)
Learn what you can do if you have received a Foreclosure Summons and Complaint.
By: South Brooklyn Legal Services
What is a Settlement Conference, and How Should I Prepare? This is a guide to the top things every homeowner with a settlement conference should do. A settlement conference is a meeting in court between you, the party that is suing you in the foreclosure action (the "plaintiff"), and a judge or judicial hearing officer. The settlement conference should help you take steps to resolve your foreclosure.
By: South Brooklyn Legal Services (A Program of Legal Services NYC)
What To Do When You Can't Afford Your Mortgage
(Separate Website)
If you have trouble making mortgage payments, this pamphlet from the N.Y. State Banking Dept. provides a time line of what to expect from your lender.
By: New York State Banking Department
Tips for Avoiding Foreclosure
(Separate Website)
Are you having trouble keeping up with your mortgage payments? Here are 10 tips from the Department of Housing and Urban Development.
By: U. S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Read this in:
Spanish / Español
The "Making Home Affordable" Plan: Overview for NYC Homeowners
(Separate Website)
An overview of a federal plan that may help some NYC homeowners avoid foreclosure by refinancing or loan modification.
By: Neighborhood Economic Development Advocacy Project
Foreclosure Prevention & Responsible Lending Act of 2008
(Separate Website)
Protect yourself! Learn more about the main points of this law.
By: NEDAP
Foreclosure Prevention
(Separate Website)
If you are looking to buy a home, refinance, or obtain a home improvement loan, beware. Learn what you can do to protect yourself.
By: NYC Department of Housing Preservation & Development
Not sure what some of the words mean during your foreclosure proceeding?
(Separate Website)
Print a copy of this glossary of key terms to help you during your foreclosure proceedings.
Saving Your Property from Tax Foreclosure
(Separate Website)
Information on how to keep your property before the City gets final judgment and how to get your property back from the City after foreclosure.
By: South Brooklyn Legal Services (A Program of Legal Services NYC)
New York City homeowners, see if you qualify for the foreclosure prevention gap loan!
(Separate Website)
By: NEDAP
Dreams Foreclosed: Saving Older Americans from Foreclosure Rescue Scams Overview of how to identify foreclosure "rescue" scams and how to avoid them.
By: National Consumer Law Center
VIDEO: How to avoid foreclosure rescue scams
(Separate Website)
This website provides information and a video on how you can protect yourself from foreclosure rescue scams.
By: Federal Trade Commission
Read this in:
Spanish / Español
Don't Fall For These Ads!
(Separate Website)
Several examples of clever traps laid by scammers to dupe foreclosed homeowners into giving up their property for far less than it is worth.
The Foreclosure Process in New York (Diagram and Glossary of Terms)
(Separate Website)
A diagram explaining the process New York foreclosures can take, and a glossary of terms common to foreclosure actions.
By: Neighborhood Economic Development Advocacy Project
Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA)
(Separate Website)
Common questions and answers for reservists, guardsmen and other military personnel about mortgage payment relief and protection from foreclosure provided by the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (formerly known as The Soldiers' and Sailors' Civil Relief Act of 1940)
By: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
Information for Military Personnel Regarding Mortgage Relief and Foreclosure Protection
(Separate Website)
Information about payment relief and protection from foreclosure provided by the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (formerly known as The Soldiers' and Sailors' Civil Relief Act of 1940)
By: U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Developement
Military Service Personnel Have Rights Affecting Real Estate Contracts
(Separate Website)
Explains the rights that Military Service Personnel have in real estate contracts such as apartment leases and mortgage contracts.
By: Staff Judge Advocate to the US Marine Corps
Home Equity Theft Scams: How They Work and How to Avoid Them
(Separate Website)
This pamphlet from the N.Y. State Banking Dept. explains how to avoid foreclosure scammers who may defraud you of your home.
By: New York State Banking Department
Home Equity Theft Prevention Act: Your Rights Under The Law
(Separate Website)
The law can help protect you against scams. This pamphlet from the N. Y. State Banking Dept. explains your rights if you are planning to sell your home when you are in default or foreclosure.
By: New York State Banking Department
Mortgage Fraud: How to Avoid Being a Victim
(Separate Website)
Avoid getting scammed, find out what you can do!
By: FBI
Refinancing Scams
(Separate Website)
A breakdown of common refinancing scams.
By: Neighborhood Economic Development Advocacy Project
What to Know When Buying Your First Home: Avoiding Scams
(Separate Website)
"Property flipping" is when a real estate investor buys a house at a discount, performs repairs, and then sells the home at a huge, marked-up price to a new homebuyer. If you are buying a home for the first time, read this brochure to learn how to avoid this problem.
By: South Brooklyn Legal Services (A Program of Legal Services NYC)
First-Time Homebuyer Scams
(Separate Website)
A discussion of two practices used by some scam artists: "property flipping" after cosmetic repairs, and "one-stop shops" that purport to arrange the entire home purchase process.
By: Neighborhood Economic Development Advocacy Project
High-Cost Home Loans: Don't Be a Target Tips on how to protect yourself when shopping for home loans.
By: National Consumer Law Center
Read this in:
Chinese / 中文
,
Spanish / Español
High-Cost or "Predatory" Mortgage Traps
(Separate Website)
Detailed information on predatory lending practices, including contact information for local organizations that provide legal assistance and counseling to help prevent foreclosures.
By: South Brooklyn Legal Services (A Program of Legal Services NYC)
Read this in:
Spanish / Español
Financing Homes: Avoid Predatory Lenders
This article provides an outline of how to spot and avoid dishonest lenders.
By: AARP Legal Services Network
High-Cost Home Loans: Your Legal Protections
This article provides an overview of your legal rights in regards to loans with high interest rates or high fees, otherwise known as HOEPA loans.
By: AARP Legal Services Network
Helping Elderly Homeowners Victimized by Predatory Mortgage Loans
This article provides an overview of how to identify predatory mortgage loans and overcome the legal challenges to these types of loans.
By: National Consumer Law Center
How to File a Complaint Against a Lender or a Home Improvement Contractor (links to 5 agencies)
Beware of Loan Modification Scams!
(Separate Website)
A homeowner alert about mortgage modification scams.
By: Neighborhood Economic Development Advocacy Project
False Advertising: How to Spot It And What You Can Do About It?
(Separate Website)
Be aware of advertisements that seem too good to be true. Learn how to avoid them.
By: NYC Department of Consumer Affairs
Do You Need a Loan? This factsheet explains how to avoid lenders that take advantage of individuals by misleading them about the terms of a loan and their ability to pay back a loan.
By: The New York City Fair Lending Coalition
Looking for the Best Mortgage?
(Separate Website)
Information on what to look for when shopping for a mortgage, including an explanation of terms used by mortgage brokers and bankers and a worksheet to use to compare mortgage offers.
By: Federal Trade Commission
Read this in:
Spanish / Español
Frequently Asked Questions and Answers about Mortgages
(Separate Website)
Questions and answers about home loans, including your rights and what certain legal terms mean.
By: New York State Banking Department
The ABC's of Sub-Prime Mortgage Lending
(Separate Website)
Information on sub-prime mortgage lending, including contact information for local organizations that provide legal assistance and counseling to help prevent foreclosures.
By: New York State Banking Department
Read this in:
Spanish / Español
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