Avella Urges Law Change On Pet-Owner Eviction
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Tenants who replace a deceased pet with a new companion would be protected from eviction if City Council Member Tony Avella gets his way.
Legally, landlords have a three-month window to take action, such as eviction, against tenants who violate a no-pet clause in their lease. But pet-owners are not home free once the time expires. If their pet dies and they replace it, the three-month clock starts all over again and the landlord can once again serve them with an eviction notice. Animal lovers have argued that the additional opportunity to evict is unfair, since they have already established their right to have a pet in their home.
Mr. Avella is holding a press conference today with animal advocacy groups, including the Humane Society and the League of Humane Voters of New York City, to call on the speaker of the City Council, Christine Quinn, to hold a hearing on legislation he has introduced that would carry tenants’ rights to own a pet over into the pet’s replacement.
