LEAH’S HOUSING RESOURCES

Due to my time limitations and my ethical duties as an attorney, I am not available to answer your personal housing questions.

I am not taking on any new clients right now.

Below is a list of resources for tenants. It does not constitute legal advice. Thank you for respecting my time, energy and labor.

Here are some options:
If you’re looking for a private attorney, contact your local bar association and ask for a referral (in NYC, contact the NYC Bar Association). If you’re in NYC and seeking a free attorney, call 311 and say “I need a tenants’ rights attorney” or visit this page. If you’re looking for a legal aid attorney in another state, check out LawHelp to find organizations in your area.
Tenant hotlines to the rescue!
If you’re a NYC tenant with general housing questions, Met Council on Housing is a great resource. They have a tenants’ rights hotline‍ with knowledgeable folks. Housing Court Answers offers a hotline as well. If you want to talk to an attorney, the NYC Bar Association offers a free legal hotline for low-income tenants.
You can find more information here:
https://housingconnect.nyc.gov/PublicWeb/
Disclaimer: I do not work for the NYC agency which administers the housing lottery. Direct all questions to them. If your question is about the Mitchell Lama coops I post about, call NYC HPD at (212) 863-6500.

Frequently Asked Qustions

(by New York City tenants)

How do I find out if my current apartment is rent stabilized?
Submit a request for records access here at DHCR. If you want it immediately, you can go to a borough office in person to request it (with proof you live there).
I’m interested in an apartment! How do I check if the building has issues (like roaches, mice, inadequate heat)?
Type in the building address here and click on complaints (what tenants have called 311 about) and code violations (what the housing inspector found).
I’m rent stabilized. Is there a way to freeze the rent of my rent stabilized apartment?
Yes. There are two NYC rent freeze programs—one is for people with disabilities and the other is for seniors. You have to be income eligible. If you need help filing out the application, you can speak with a specialist at the city’s Public Engagement Unit at (212) 252-7242.
It’s hard to get a free attorney! I tried but they said they couldn’t take my case. What do I do now?
Go through the HRA Office of Civil Justice. You’ll probably have a better shot if having your case assigned and accepted.