Ask Altagracia: My landlord enters my apartment with no warning. What can I do to stop this?
- A standard lease requires landlords to give 24-hour written notice before entering your apartment
- You can file what’s known as a Housing Part action to put an end to harassment by a landlord
“If the landlord comes in for a leak, at some point the leak needs to be abated,” Pierre-Outerbridge said. “If they continue to come in, they are trying to intimidate—that’s harassment.”
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On several occasions, I have come home and been surprised to find my landlord fixing something in my apartment. He’s supposed to let me know in advance that he is coming over but never does. How do I prevent these intrusions?
Most leases will spell out the amount of notice a landlord must give you before entering your apartment. “The standard lease is 24-hours notice in writing,” said Altagracia Pierre-Outerbridge, attorney and founder of Outerbridge Law representing residential tenants, condo owners and landlords. If you are not getting 24-hours' notice and the intrusions are frequent you may be able to bring a harassment proceeding in housing court.
Another option is to withhold rent. This action forces the landlord to negotiate but you risk being sued for non-payment. “Unannounced visits from your landlord are typically a form of harassment rather than an issue of privacy and security, although it is that too,” Pierre-Outerbridge said, adding that surprise visits often relate to conditions in the apartment.
Allowing access for repairs
If you change the locks on your apartment you risk eviction because a lease typically requires you to give the landlord a copy of your key. “This is for the safety of tenants in the building if there were a fire or other safety issue,” Pierre-Outerbridge said.
You also need to let your landlord into your apartment for repairs. However, it's a different situation if repeated demands for access are accompanied by a failure to make repairs. “If the landlord comes in for a leak, at some point the leak needs to be abated,” Pierre-Outerbridge said. “If they continue to come in, they are trying to intimidate—that’s harassment.”
In other words, if a landlord delays making repairs, then the combination of the poor condition of the apartment and the intrusions into your privacy would likely be deemed harassment by the court.
Filing an HP action for repairs and harassment
A Housing Part action, known more commonly as an HP action, is a case brought in housing court to address unsafe conditions. Through an HP action, you can request the court to order a landlord to make repairs; this includes dealing with pests, restoring essential services and addressing unsafe conditions.
You will need to visit the housing court in your borough to get the official HP forms and filing instructions. There’s a form for repairs, a form for harassment and a form for repairs and harassment. You’ll need to choose the correct form for your situation. Claiming harassment is something you need to take very seriously. “If the court decides a tenant’s harassment claim is completely without merit, the judge can make the tenant pay the landlord’s legal fees,” Pierre-Outerbridge said.
An HP proceeding requires you to pay a fee of around $40. If you can’t cover this cost, you can ask the clerk about filling out an application to waive it.
Getting the right legal advice
The process isn’t overly complicated but you should consult with an attorney so you understand your rights. “The other side will always have a lawyer,” Pierre-Outerbridge said. “You won't really know all your rights if you don’t have an attorney—and the court is not your attorney,” she said.
If you are successful, the court will order the landlord to cease the harassment and fix any problems in your apartment. The court will issue fines for harassment. Pierre-Outerbridge has found that once the repairs are made, in most cases the landlord’s intrusions will cease.
Altagracia Pierre-Outerbridge, Esq. is the owner of Outerbridge Law P.C, focusing primarily on tenant representation. The firm represents all sides in landlord-tenant litigation and transactional matters such as month-to-month holdovers, nuisance cases, licensee cases, harassment claims, repair cases, tenant buyouts, succession claims, DHCR overcharges and rent reductions and more. Pierre-Outerbridge has 15 years of experience litigating in Supreme, DHCR, and Housing Court. To submit a question for this column, click here. To contact Outerbridge Law P.C. directly, call 212-364-5612 or 877-OUTERBRIDGE, or schedule a meeting today
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