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Floral Park is a quiet, densely residential village of roughly 16,000 residents situated on the Nassau–Queens border. While the majority of housing stock consists of owner-occupied single-family homes, a meaningful share of residents rent apartments, basement units, and small multi-family properties. Renters in Floral Park are protected primarily by New York State landlord-tenant statutes — notably the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019 (HSTPA), which significantly strengthened renter rights across the state.
Because Floral Park has not enacted any local rent control or rent stabilization ordinance, and Nassau County has not opted into New York City's rent stabilization system, market-rate rents here are unregulated. However, state law still provides important baseline protections around security deposits, habitability, lease renewals, eviction procedures, and anti-retaliation. Understanding these rules is essential for any Floral Park tenant.
This article is intended as general educational information about landlord-tenant law as it applies to Floral Park, New York. It is not legal advice. Laws can change, and individual circumstances vary — if you have a specific dispute or legal question, consult a licensed New York attorney or a local legal aid organization.
No Rent Control in Floral Park
Floral Park has no rent control or rent stabilization ordinance. New York's Emergency Tenant Protection Act (ETPA) of 1974, codified at N.Y. Unconsol. Law §§ 8621–8634, allows counties, cities, towns, and villages outside New York City to adopt rent stabilization for buildings with six or more units built before 1974 — but only if the local governing body passes an emergency declaration finding a vacancy rate at or below 5%. Nassau County and the Village of Floral Park have not made such a declaration, so the ETPA does not apply here.
In practice, this means your landlord is free to set rents at whatever the market will bear and can raise your rent to any amount upon lease renewal, subject only to the notice requirements described below. There is no rent registration, no rent history, and no regulatory cap on annual increases for market-rate units in Floral Park. Renters who believe their unit may have been subject to past regulation should contact the New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR) at (718) 739-6400 to confirm the unit's regulatory status.
Warranty of Habitability (N.Y. Real Prop. Law § 235-b)
Every residential lease in New York carries an implied warranty of habitability. Your landlord is legally required to maintain your rental unit in a safe, livable condition — free from vermin, structural defects, lack of heat or hot water, and other conditions that materially impair health or safety. This warranty cannot be waived by lease language. If your landlord fails to maintain habitable conditions, you may have the right to withhold rent, make repairs and deduct the cost (within limits), or pursue damages in court.
Security Deposit Protections (N.Y. Gen. Oblig. Law §§ 7-101 to 7-110)
As amended by the HSTPA, New York limits security deposits to no more than one month's rent for all residential tenancies. Landlords must deposit the funds in a New York bank account and, for buildings with six or more units, must pay interest on the deposit. Full rules are described in the Security Deposit section below.
Lease Renewal Notice Requirements (N.Y. Real Prop. Law § 226-c)
If your landlord intends not to renew your lease or intends to raise your rent by more than 5%, they must provide advance written notice: 30 days for tenants who have lived in the unit less than one year, 60 days for tenants who have lived there one to two years, and 90 days for tenants who have lived there more than two years. Failure to provide proper notice may entitle you to remain in the unit for the required notice period regardless of the lease end date.
Anti-Retaliation Protection (N.Y. Real Prop. Law § 223-b)
Your landlord may not retaliate against you for complaining to a government agency about housing conditions, for organizing with other tenants, or for exercising any other legal right. Retaliation can take the form of rent increases, reduced services, or eviction proceedings. If your landlord takes adverse action within one year of a protected activity, the law presumes retaliation and shifts the burden of proof to the landlord.
Lockout and Utility Shutoff Prohibition (N.Y. Real Prop. Law § 235)
A landlord may not remove a tenant from possession of a rental unit except through a formal court-ordered eviction process. Changing locks, removing doors or windows, shutting off utilities, or removing the tenant's belongings without a court order is illegal and constitutes an unlawful eviction. Tenants subjected to such conduct may seek emergency relief in Nassau County District Court.
Domestic Violence Protections (N.Y. Real Prop. Law § 227-c)
Tenants who are victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, or stalking may terminate a lease early without penalty by providing written notice and documentation (such as a protective order or police report) to the landlord.
Security Deposit Cap
Under N.Y. General Obligations Law § 7-108(1-a), as amended by the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019, a landlord in Floral Park may collect no more than one month's rent as a security deposit. This applies to virtually all residential tenancies. Landlords may not collect last month's rent in addition to a security deposit, and they may not charge more than the equivalent of one month's rent for any deposit.
Return Deadline
Your landlord must return your security deposit — along with an itemized written statement of any deductions — within 14 days after you vacate the unit and return the keys (N.Y. Gen. Oblig. Law § 7-108(1-a)(e)). The itemized statement must describe each deduction with reasonable specificity (e.g., cost to repair specific damage beyond normal wear and tear).
Penalty for Non-Compliance
If your landlord fails to return the deposit and itemized statement within 14 days, the landlord forfeits the right to retain any portion of the deposit. You are then entitled to recover the entire deposit amount regardless of any actual damages. Courts may also award attorney's fees in such cases. Normal wear and tear — gradual deterioration from ordinary use — may never be deducted from your deposit (N.Y. Gen. Oblig. Law § 7-108(1-a)(b)).
Interest and Account Requirements
In buildings with six or more units, the landlord must place the deposit in an interest-bearing account and pay you the accrued interest annually (less a 1% administrative fee). In smaller buildings, the landlord must hold the deposit in a separate New York bank account but is not required to pay interest (N.Y. Gen. Oblig. Law §§ 7-103, 7-108).
Overview
Evictions in Floral Park must follow New York State law. A landlord cannot remove a tenant through self-help measures — only a court order issued through the formal eviction process (holdover or nonpayment proceeding) is legally valid. Floral Park cases are heard in the Nassau County District Court, 4th District, located in Hempstead.
Step 1 — Required Notice
Before filing for eviction, the landlord must generally provide written notice. The type and length of notice depends on the reason for eviction:
Step 2 — Filing the Petition
After proper notice, the landlord files a petition in Nassau County District Court (RPAPL § 731). The tenant must be personally served with the petition and a notice of petition specifying the hearing date, which must be scheduled between 5 and 12 days after service (RPAPL § 733).
Step 3 — Court Hearing
Both parties appear before a judge. Tenants have the right to answer the petition, raise defenses (such as uninhabitable conditions, improper notice, or retaliation), and request an adjournment to obtain counsel. Nassau County District Court has a Help Center where self-represented litigants can get procedural guidance.
Step 4 — Judgment and Warrant of Eviction
If the court rules in the landlord's favor, it issues a judgment of possession and may issue a warrant of eviction. A Nassau County Sheriff or marshal executes the warrant — not the landlord. The tenant typically receives at least 72 hours' notice before the physical eviction (RPAPL § 749).
Self-Help Eviction Is Illegal
Changing locks, removing doors or windows, cutting off heat, electricity, or water, or removing the tenant's belongings to force a move-out without a court order is an unlawful eviction under N.Y. Real Prop. Law § 235 and may expose the landlord to civil liability and criminal charges. Tenants who experience an illegal lockout can seek an emergency court order for immediate restoration of possession.
The information on this page is provided for general educational purposes only and does not constitute legal advice. Landlord-tenant laws can change, and the application of any law depends on your specific facts and circumstances. RentCheckMe is not a law firm and does not provide legal representation. If you have a specific legal problem or dispute, you should consult a licensed New York attorney or contact a qualified legal aid organization in Nassau County. Verify all statutes and local rules independently, as laws may have been amended after the last updated date shown on this page.
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