logo
Please note!
This fact brief was originally published as an experiment to test the concepts behind fact briefs.
Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of useful information in fact briefs like this one, not all of them reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.

Can New York's emergency order be invoked to modify rent obligations?

By Devin Stewart
YES

On March 7, New York Gov. Andrew Cuomo issued an executive order declaring a disaster emergency for the state, under which he can modify or suspend state laws "if compliance with such provisions would prevent, hinder, or delay action necessary to cope with the disaster."

According to John Teufel, a lawyer writing in the New York Daily News, Cuomo can suspend or modify "any of the series of laws that govern residential leases in New York." The governor, according to Teufel, could remove "the ability of landlords to sue for eviction based on unpaid rent during this crisis" by modifying the definition of "rent," in effect canceling rent.

On March 30, Cuomo said that temporarily halting evictions was the "fundamental answer" to concerns about rent. He would not commit to halting rent obligations altogether.

This fact brief is responsive to conversations such as this one.
ABOUT THE CONTRIBUTOR
Between 2020 and 2022, under close editorial supervision, Gigafact contracted a group of freelance writers and editors to test the concepts for fact briefs and provide inputs to our software development process. We call this effort Gigafact Foundry. Over the course of these two years, Gigafact Foundry writers published over 1500 fact briefs in response to claims they found online. Their important work forms the basis of Gigafact formats and editorial guidelines, and is available to the public on Gigafact.org. Readers should be aware that while there is still a lot of relevant information to be found, not all fact briefs produced by Gigafact Foundry reflect Gigafact's current methods and standards for fact briefs. If you come across any that you feel are out of date and need to be looked at with fresh eyes, don't hesitate to contact us at support@gigafact.org.
FACT BRIEF BY
facebook
twitter
email
email