Priscilla Toomey on Real Estate: Housing Stability Act of 2019 Includes New Provisions For Renting Single Family Homes
By Priscilla Toomey, Licensed Associate Real Estate Broker, Julia B. Fee/Sotheby's International Realty
Sep. 4, 2019: If their home is on the market but isn’t selling, people often think of renting it out as a viable option. Of course, no matter how careful they are in choosing a tenant, it’s partly luck whether the tenant turns out to be responsible and treats the property as if it were their own or turns out to be an unexpected nightmare who doesn’t pay rent on time and who treats the property poorly, no matter how good they looked on paper.
But on June 14 of this year a seismic shift occurred in favor of tenants – something all landlords and prospective landlords need to be aware of, including those renting out a single-family home. It's called the Housing Stability Act of 2019 and among its provisions are:
1. Landlords cannot charge application fees and can only charge $20 or the actual cost, whichever is less, for a credit or background check.
2. Landlord’s cannot charge more than a one-month security deposit and cannot charge a pet deposit.
3. Once a tenant moves out, the landlord has 14 days to return the security deposit and must give an itemized list, with explanations, for every item deducted from that security deposit.
4. Late fees cannot exceed $50 or 5% of the monthly rent, whichever is less, and late fees cannot be charged if rent is paid 5 days or less after the due date.
5. The eviction process has become much longer and more difficult for landlords and can now easily take a year.
These are just some of the highlights of the new law. So, if you’re a landlord or considering renting out your home because it isn’t selling – or for any other reason – you should check with a lawyer who is proficient in landlord/tenant matters first to find out exactly what you can and cannot do under the new law and whether or not you are prepared to live with it.
Pictured here: Priscilla Toomey, cell, 914-559-8084; email,
Photo courtesy Julia B. Fee/Sotheby's International Realty
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