New York Late Fee Law
New York limits residential late fees by statute. Lesser of $50 or 5% of monthly rent. State law requires a grace period of 5 days before a late fee can be charged.
Last verified: · Researched and cited by MakeLease · not yet attorney-reviewed
New York late fee law at a glance
| Late-fee cap | Lesser of $50 or 5% of monthly rentN.Y. Real Prop. Law § 238-a(2) |
|---|---|
| Grace period | 5 daysN.Y. Real Prop. Law § 238-a(2) |
| Notice before filing for unpaid rent | 14 days (14-day written rent demand)N.Y. RPAPL § 711(2) |
What New York law says
Is there a limit on late fees in New York?
A late fee may not exceed the lesser of $50 or 5% of the monthly rent (N.Y. Real Prop. Law § 238-a(2)).
Does New York require a grace period before a late fee?
A late fee may be charged only if rent is still unpaid five days after its due date (N.Y. Real Prop. Law § 238-a(2)).
How much notice must a New York landlord give for unpaid rent?
Before filing a nonpayment case, the landlord must serve a written demand giving the tenant at least 14 days to pay the rent (N.Y. Real Prop. Actions & Proc. Law § 711(2)) (N.Y. RPAPL § 711(2)).
How New York compares
20 of 51 verified jurisdictions cap late fees by statute. 4 require a longer grace period than 5 days.
None of New York's 5 neighbors follows the same rule.
| Late-fee cap · grace period | States |
|---|---|
| Statutory formula · 5 days | New York |
| Statutory formula · 9 days | Connecticut |
| No state cap · 30 days | Massachusetts |
| No state cap · 5 days | New Jersey |
| No state cap · none | Pennsylvania, Vermont |
Local rules in New York
New York City: rent stabilization and rent control (DHCR-administered) cover much of the older multifamily stock; the Good Cause Eviction Law (RPL Art. 6-A) applies citywide without opt-in; landlords must give an annual window-guard notice and lease rider (NYC Health Code § 131.15; Admin. Code § 27-2043.1), a bedbug infestation-history disclosure (Admin. Code § 27-2018.1), and since June 11, 2025 the FARE Act (Local Law 119 of 2024) bars passing the landlord's own broker fee to tenants. Outside NYC, Good Cause applies only in cities, towns and villages that opt in by local law (e.g. Albany and several others listed by DHCR), and rent stabilization applies only in municipalities that declared an emergency under the Emergency Tenant Protection Act (parts of Nassau, Westchester, Rockland and, since 2019, any opting-in locality such as Kingston). Rent-stabilized and rent-controlled units follow separate DHCR rules for deposits, renewals and evictions.
Other New York rules
| Security deposit limit | 1 month's rent (with exceptions)N.Y. Gen. Oblig. Law § 7-108(1-a)(a) |
|---|---|
| Deposit return deadline | 14 days after move-outN.Y. Gen. Oblig. Law § 7-108(1-a)(e) |
| Entry notice | No state ruleNY AG Residential Tenants' Rights Guide, Right to Privacy (p. 54) |
| Rent-increase notice | 30 days (Applies to increases of 5% or more: 30 days if occupancy < 1 year and lease < 1 year; 60 days if occupancy or lease 1–2 years; 90 days if occupancy or lease 2+ years)N.Y. Real Prop. Law § 226-c |
| Month-to-month termination | 30 days (either side)N.Y. Real Prop. Law § 226-c(2), N.Y. Real Prop. Law § 232-a (NYC), N.Y. Real Prop. Law § 232-b (outside NYC) |