RPL 238-a Application Fee Cap

N.Y. Real Property Law § 238-a

Enacted by the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019, New York Real Property Law § 238-a caps fees charged to reimburse the cost of a tenant background check and credit check at the actual cost of those checks or twenty dollars, whichever is less, and bars most other application/processing fees. The landlord may not collect the fee unless it provides the prospective tenant with a copy of the background or credit check and the receipt or invoice from the entity that conducted it, and must waive the fee if the prospective tenant provides a copy of a background or credit check conducted within the past thirty days. This is a New York State statute applicable statewide (not a DCWP rule).