Governor Andrew Cuomo has extended a ban on evictions through August 20 to protect renters in New York who have lost their jobs or been furloughed due to the coronavirus shutdown.
Cuomo says the June 1 ban on evictions will be extended and there will also be a ban on landlords charging late fees for rental payments. Renters can also use their security deposits toward rent. The governor say he hopes it eases people’s minds.
“The number one issue that people talk to me about probably is rent, and fear of paying their rent,” Cuomo said. “This takes the issue off the table.”
The governor says he can’t predict what will happen after August 20, but says the state “will handle it” when that time comes.
“That’s what we’ve been doing all along,” said Cuomo who says many decisions about how to react to the pandemic are being made on a two week basis.
Some tenant advocacy groups have called for rental payments to be waived altogether for people effected by the COVID 19 crisis. But the governor has said landlords need money, too, to maintain their buildings.
