During the COVID-19 emergency, New York enacted the Tenant Safe Harbor Act and successive eviction moratoriums through January 2022, freezing most Buffalo nonpayment and holdover proceedings and preserving tenancies during the pandemic.
New York's pandemic-era tenant protections began with the March 2020 executive orders and culminated in the Tenant Safe Harbor Act and the COVID-19 Emergency Eviction and Foreclosure Prevention Act (CEEFPA), which paused most Buffalo eviction filings through January 15, 2022. Tenants who experienced COVID-related hardship received continued protection from nonpayment evictions. The Emergency Rental Assistance Program (ERAP), administered by NY Office of Temporary and Disability Assistance, distributed billions in back-rent statewide including significant Erie County allocations. Although the moratorium has expired, ERAP-protected tenants retained extended protections, and Buffalo housing court still considers ERAP applications.
Filing nonpayment evictions during the active moratorium window without lifting the stay through proper court procedure resulted in case dismissal and potential sanctions under NY court rules.
Buffalo, NY
NY HSTPA restricts no-fault evictions in Buffalo by requiring extended notice periods of 30, 60, or 90 days based on tenancy length, eliminating most month-t...
Buffalo, NY
Buffalo opted into New York State Good Cause Eviction protections in 2024 via Common Council resolution, limiting evictions and rent increases above set thre...
See how Buffalo's eviction moratorium history rules stack up against other locations.
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