Can my landlord prohibit my sister from staying with us?

Full question:

Myself and my husband have been living in a two bedroom rented apartment for the past four months, we signed the lease for period of one year. Recently my sister got a job in the city and wants to move in with us for a month. But my landlord is refusing to let her stay, saying that there was a clause in the lease agreement which prohibited outsiders from staying in the apartment for more than fifteen days. Will I violate the terms of the lease if my sister stays with us?

• Category: Abandoned Property
• Subcategory: Landlord Tenant
• Date: 04/07/2025
• State: New York

Answer:

No, in New York, the law does not permit landlords to impose unreasonable restrictions on the occupancy of the rented premises and tenants are allowed to bring in their immediate family members. Any lease provision which prohibits the tenant from allowing immediate family members to stay with them is void and against public policy. The law is stated in N.Y. Real Prop. Law §235-f that reads:

“1. As used in this section, the terms:
(a) “Tenant” means a person occupying or entitled to occupy a residential rental premises who is either a party to the lease or rental agreement for such premises or is a statutory tenant pursuant to the emergency housing rent control law1 or the city rent and rehabilitation law2 or article seven-c of the multiple dwelling law.
(b) “Occupant” means a person, other than a tenant or a member of a tenant's immediate family, occupying a premises with the consent of the tenant or tenants.
2. It shall be unlawful for a landlord to restrict occupancy of residential premises, by express lease terms or otherwise, to a tenant or tenants or to such tenants and immediate family. Any such restriction in a lease or rental agreement entered into or renewed before or after the effective date of this section shall be unenforceable as against public policy.
3. Any lease or rental agreement for residential premises entered into by one tenant shall be construed to permit occupancy by the tenant, immediate family of the tenant, one additional occupant, and dependent children of the occupant provided that the tenant or the tenant's spouse occupies the premises as his primary residence.
4. Any lease or rental agreement for residential premises entered into by two or more tenants shall be construed to permit occupancy by tenants, immediate family of tenants, occupants and dependent children of occupants; provided that the total number of tenants and occupants, excluding occupants' dependent children, does not exceed the number of tenants specified in the current lease or rental agreement, and that at least one tenant or a tenants'3 spouse occupies the premises as his primary residence.
5. The tenant shall inform the landlord of the name of any occupant within thirty days following the commencement of occupancy by such person or within thirty days following a request by the landlord.
6. No occupant nor occupant's dependent child shall, without express written permission of the landlord, acquire any right to continued occupancy in the event that the tenant vacates the premises or acquire any other rights of tenancy; provided that nothing in this section shall be construed to reduce or impair any right or remedy otherwise available to any person residing in any housing accommodation on the effective date of this section which accrued prior to such date.
7. Any provision of a lease or rental agreement purporting to waive a provision of this section is null and void.
8. Nothing in this section shall be construed as invalidating or impairing the operation of, or the right of a landlord to restrict occupancy in order to comply with federal, state or local laws, regulations, ordinances or codes.
9. Any person aggrieved by a violation of this section may maintain an action in any court of competent jurisdiction for:
(a) an injunction to enjoin and restrain such unlawful practice;
(b) actual damages sustained as a result of such unlawful practice; and
(c) court costs.”