Do this today
- Photograph the empty unit and the keys as you return them.
- Give a forwarding address in writing.
- Keep the lease, the deduction list, and proof of mailing.
- Open the New York deposit chapter before you treat a blog as the clock.
Who sets the deposit rule in New York City?
Usually New York — New York landlord-tenant and summary-proceeding statutes. Some cities add their own itemization or holding rules. HPD handles conditions. HCR handles whether a unit is rent-regulated. Housing Court handles possession. 311 is how you open a City service request. Those four are not interchangeable. This desk names the chapter. It does not reprint a cap or a day-count.
What evidence actually matters?
Move-in and move-out photos with dates, the lease, the forwarding address you gave, proof you returned the keys, and any deduction list. A text argument without photos is a weak file.
Who do I call in NYC — 311, HPD, HCR, or Housing Court?
They are four different doors. 311 opens a City service request. HPD inspects housing conditions. HCR answers whether a unit is rent-regulated. Housing Court hears possession cases. Calling the wrong one wastes the day you may not have. Match the paper in your hand to the door.
Can my NYC landlord charge a broker fee?
New York City has additional rules on how broker fees may be charged, and they change. Confirm the current rule on the HPD Tenant Bill of Rights or with legal aid — this desk does not reprint a fee split. Keep every invoice. A fee you already paid is a paper trail, not a closed case.
The New York City layer
HPD handles conditions. HCR handles whether a unit is rent-regulated. Housing Court handles possession. 311 is how you open a City service request. Those four are not interchangeable.
New York landlord-tenant and summary-proceeding statutes (N.Y. Real Prop. Law Art. 7; Real Prop. Acts. and Proc. Law) is the New York floor. We name it. We do not paraphrase a day-count or a dollar cap out of it.
New York City questions
How do I get my security deposit back in New York City?
Photograph the unit, return the keys as the lease requires, and give a forwarding address in writing. The clock and the cap live mainly in New York landlord-tenant and summary-proceeding statutes. HPD handles conditions. HCR handles whether a unit is rent-regulated. Housing Court handles possession. 311 is how you open a City service request. Those four are not interchangeable.
Does New York City set its own deposit deadline?
Sometimes a city adds a rule; often it does not. HPD handles conditions. HCR handles whether a unit is rent-regulated. Housing Court handles possession. 311 is how you open a City service request. Those four are not interchangeable. Confirm with NYC HPD — Tenant Bill of Rights and the New York chapter. We do not invent a day-count.
Who do I call in NYC — 311, HPD, HCR, or Housing Court?
They are four different doors. 311 opens a City service request. HPD inspects housing conditions. HCR answers whether a unit is rent-regulated. Housing Court hears possession cases. Calling the wrong one wastes the day you may not have. Match the paper in your hand to the door.
Can my NYC landlord charge a broker fee?
New York City has additional rules on how broker fees may be charged, and they change. Confirm the current rule on the HPD Tenant Bill of Rights or with legal aid — this desk does not reprint a fee split. Keep every invoice. A fee you already paid is a paper trail, not a closed case.
What number should I call in New York City?
Danger: 911. Mental-health crisis: 988. City services: 311. Court papers: LawHelp.org the same day. NYC HPD — Tenant Bill of Rights does not replace legal aid when a case is filed.
National answers on this desk
Last reviewed 8 September 2026. Legal information, not legal advice. Not a law firm. hello@renterprotection.org