A pending law could expand the legal options for tenants in New York state to fight substandard living conditions.

The measure, given final approval by the Legislature this month, is meant to create a process in local housing courts that would allow tenants to file lawsuits over neglected conditions and win judgments for landlords to fix violations of local or state housing codes and standards.

Lawmakers had sought to widen the legal avenue for tenants who are living in poor conditions. Often, tenants will withhold rent in order to get conditions fixed, only to risk eviction.

“Our home should be a place where we can be comfortable and safe; persistent conditions violations create an environment where neither of those is possible," said Sen. Rachel May, the Syracuse Democrat who sponsored the measure with Assemblyman Bill Magnarelli. "The ‘Tenant Dignity and Safe Housing Act’ gives tenants a way to ensure landlords maintain their properties, keeping them in good condition and improving the quality of our upstate housing stock."

New York lawmakers have sought in recent months to bolster protections for tenants in New York as rents continue to rise and after pandemic-era rules restricting evictions for people who faced financial hardships expired.

Tenant advocacy organizations are also backing the legislation, which next heads to Gov. Kathy Hochul.

"I meet far too many tenants living with landlords who will not fix up their properties to meet the most basic standards of livability," said Palmer Harvey, founder of the Syracuse Tenants’ Union. "The Tenant Dignity and Safe Housing Act will create a much-needed tool for tenants to address conditions violations in their homes."