S T A T E   O F   N E W   Y O R K
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                                  6842

                       2013-2014 Regular Sessions

                          I N  A S S E M B L Y

                             April 19, 2013
                               ___________

Introduced  by M. of A. BOYLAND -- read once and referred to the Commit-
  tee on Housing

AN ACT to amend the real property law, in relation to enforcement of the
  warranty of habitability

  THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF NEW YORK, REPRESENTED IN SENATE AND  ASSEM-
BLY, DO ENACT AS FOLLOWS:

  Section  1.  Legislative  findings and purpose. The legislature hereby
finds that the rental housing market in the state of New York remains in
a state of crisis, due not only to severe shortages in the stock of safe
and affordable housing but also to the state  of  disrepair  and  blight
that  afflicts rental housing opportunities available to people of lower
incomes throughout the state. The legislature  further  finds  that  the
warranty of habitability set forth in section 235-b of the real property
law  represents a critical safeguard of the health and safety of tenants
across the state of New York by requiring that all rental housing accom-
modations be maintained  in  a  safe  and  sanitary  condition  for  the
tenants; that enforcement efforts by the several agencies of the city of
New  York  and the state of New York, although often successful, are not
always sufficient to deter such breaches of the warranty by such  owners
and  landlords,  so  that  in  spite of the protections provided by law,
every year many tenants in the state of New  York  must  endure  housing
conditions  that  fail to meet the basic standards of safety required by
law. In light of the foregoing, the legislature hereby  finds  that  the
state of New York must adopt additional measures to deter the most egre-
gious  breaches  of  the  warranty  of habitability set forth in section
235-b of the real property law, and that the codification of law  award-
ing  punitive  damages to tenants who suffer intentional breaches of the
warranty is an appropriate method to realize such a purpose. The  legis-
lature therefore enacts the following law granting the courts discretion
to  award  punitive  damages in cases where the warranty of habitability
set forth in section 235-b of the real property law is  breached  inten-

 EXPLANATION--Matter in ITALICS (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
                      [ ] is old law to be omitted.
                                                           LBD10352-01-3
              

A. 6842                             2

tionally  or  with  conscious  disregard  to  severe  risks to the life,
health, or safety of the tenant.
  S 2. Section 235-b of the real property law is amended by adding a new
subdivision 4 to read as follows:
  4.  THE  COURT MAY AWARD PUNITIVE DAMAGES TO THE TENANT UPON A FINDING
THAT THE LANDLORD'S BREACH OF THE WARRANTY SET FORTH IN THIS SECTION WAS
INTENTIONAL AND MALICIOUS  OR  DEMONSTRATES  A  CONSCIOUS  DISREGARD  OF
SEVERE RISKS TO THE LIFE, HEALTH, OR SAFETY OF THE TENANT.
  S  3.  This  act shall take effect on the ninetieth day after it shall
have become a law.