New York COVID-19 Emergency Eviction and Foreclosure Prevention Act protected Suffolk County tenants from March 2020 through January 15, 2022. The Emergency Rental Assistance Program later distributed over $2.4 billion statewide. No active general eviction moratorium remains in Suffolk.
Governor Cuomo, then Governor Hochul, signed successive executive orders and Chapter 417 of 2020 and Chapter 56 of 2021 to halt residential eviction filings tied to COVID-19 hardship. The protections expired January 15, 2022 statewide, including Suffolk County. The Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP), administered by the New York Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, paid back rent for qualified tenants and continues to process select applications. As of 2026, no general moratorium operates in Suffolk County, though Suffolk Department of Social Services maintains rental-arrears assistance under HEAP and TANF emergency rules. Tenants may still raise habitability defenses under RPL Section 235-b in eviction proceedings.
Filing an eviction in violation of an active ERAP stay (when application is pending) can result in dismissal of the proceeding and sanctions under New York Civil Practice Law and Rules.
See how Babylon's eviction moratorium history rules stack up against other locations.
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