The New York State Senate and Assembly passed a four-month extension of the state’s eviction moratorium that expired on May 1.

If signed into law by Governor Cuomo, the moratorium will cover tenants through August 31, 2021. 

The law requires tenants who were negatively impact by COVID to file a hardship declaration, which will then give them time to apply for relief to the state’s rent relief fund. 

The sponsor of the bill is Senate Housing Chairman Brian Kavanagh.

“The COVID-19 numbers in New York continue to be stubbornly high throughout the state and we need public health measures like the eviction and foreclosure moratorium to keep New Yorkers safe, and ultimately to get past this terrible pandemic as soon as possible,” Senator Kavanagh told Capital Tonight.

Both the Assembly Republican conference and many landlord organizations have expressed criticism of the moratorium extension.

“Today’s vote to extend a blanket moratorium on evictions is harmful to both landlords and tenants,” Assembly Minority Leader Will Barclay said in an emailed statement. “The extension passed today severely limits the ability of already struggling small property owners to recover from the economic damage the COVID-19 pandemic has caused. This unsustainable, short-sighted policy will lead to a drastic decline in affordable housing options as landlords face foreclosure or stop renting altogether.”