Do this today
- Write the date, time, and how they entered.
- Ask in writing for notice next time, if that is the rule.
- If it felt like harassment, NYC HPD — Tenant Bill of Rights or legal aid — not a group chat.
Can a landlord in New York City enter whenever they want?
Generally no — except that emergencies and the lease can change the picture. New York landlord-tenant and summary-proceeding statutes is the New York starting point. Write down any entry you believe was improper. 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.
What if they keep coming in?
A pattern of unannounced entry can be a harassment or privacy problem. NYC HPD — Tenant Bill of Rights may take a complaint. Legal aid can tell you whether New York gives a specific remedy. Do not change the locks without advice.
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 much notice does a landlord in New York City have to give before entering?
That hour-count or day-count is in New York landlord-tenant and summary-proceeding statutes and sometimes in a city rule. This desk does not invent it. Write down what happened and take it to legal aid or NYC HPD — Tenant Bill of Rights.
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