While readers with differing interests will disagree about the cost/benefit effects of recent enactments (both legislative and regulatory) regarding the landlord-tenant relationship, all can agree that these enactments have the purpose of restricting real estate profitability for owners and further limiting a landlords’ rights of self-determination in managing their own property. While federal law has been relatively quiet in landlord-tenant enactments, of late, both New York State and New York City have been quite active.

Along with these, however, there have been a few enactments that have had the effect of moving landlord liability for tenant illegality to more focused tenant liability for that same misconduct. Thus, this article reviews some of the most noteworthy landlord-tenant related legislation of 2023 and early 2024.