Housing Court

What Is NYC Housing Court and How Do Landlord-Tenant Cases Work?

The NYC Housing Court is the Landlord-Tenant Part of the Civil Court. It hears nonpayment proceedings (tenant owes rent), holdover proceedings (lease expired or terms breached), and HP actions (tenants seeking repairs). Each borough has its own Housing Court, with resolution parts for settlement, trial parts for contested matters, and one HP part for code-enforcement cases.

About NYC Housing Court

The New York City Housing Court — formally the Landlord-Tenant Part of the NYC Civil Court — was created in 1973 to centralize all residential landlord-tenant disputes in a specialized forum. It handles three main case types: nonpayment proceedings under RPAPL § 711(2), holdover proceedings under RPAPL § 711(1) or § 713, and HP proceedings (Housing Part) where tenants sue owners to compel repairs and code compliance. Each borough operates its own Housing Court within the local Civil Court courthouse, staffed by Housing Court Judges and a network of resolution parts (for settlement) and trial parts (for contested matters).

Frequently Asked Questions

Source: Information on this page is summarized from the official New York State Unified Court System website at ww2.nycourts.gov/courts/nyc/housing/index.shtml. Last reviewed 2026. Court schedules, judicial assignments, and procedures change — confirm current details on the official site or by calling the courthouse before relying on any information here.

Facing a NYC Housing Court Matter?

Nacmias Law Firm represents owners, landlords, and businesses in NYC Civil and Housing Court matters across all five boroughs. Talk to an attorney before your return date.