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BLOG / 01.07.25 /Adrian Villalobos

New Law Extends Statute of Limitations for Unlawful Discrimination – Including Housing Discrimination

A new law, passed on February 15, 2024, extends the time for New Yorkers to file a complaint with the New York State Division of Human Rights. The new legislation has extended the time to file an unlawful discrimination claim from one year to three years – and housing providers should take note.

The Division of Human Rights touches on various aspects of life in New York State, from employment to housing. State residents are guaranteed a right to fair housing, which means all housing providers – such as landlords and real estate agents – are prohibited from discriminating against housing applicants in the sale, renting, or leasing of housing based on race, national origin, sexual orientation, or citizenship or immigration status, in addition to several other protected statuses.[1] Any unequal treatment, bias, or harassment based on these immutable characteristics amounts to a violation of New York State’s Human Rights Law.

Raising the Liability of Housing Providers

Practices such as predatory lending, biased appraisals, and “steering” – where a real estate salesperson directs customers of a certain background to neighborhoods where residents are of the same background – can all run afoul of New York State’s Human Rights Law. With this new amendment to the law, those wishing to file unlawful discrimination claims for incidents occurring on or after February 15, 2024, can do so within three years of the alleged incident. In addition to broadening the rights of victims of discrimination, the new law raises the responsibility and liability of housing providers to always abide by the State Human Rights Law.

[1] In addition to the protected statuses noted above, New York State’s Human Rights Law also protects against housing discrimination based on: Age; Arrest Record; Creed; Color; Disability; Domestic Violence Victim Status; Gender Identity or Expression; Familial Status; Lawful Source of Income; Marital Status; Military Status; Sex, and Sexual Orientation.