Understanding New York State’s Roommate Eviction Process

In our last blog post, we discussed why you should hire a process server to serve an eviction notice. But what if you’re serving just one roommate an eviction notice, not both? This might occur because one roommate has broken a contract or failed to provide rent, while the other has held up their side of the bargain.

Here’s what they process may look like:

Serve a pay or quit notice

A pay or quit notice is essentially a written warning. It notifies the tenant that they are in violation of the terms and conditions of their lease, and it will provide ways for them to fix things and avoid eviction. When this is focused on just one roommate, not both, the pay or quit notice should be served and addressed to just that single roommate.

Serve an eviction notice

When you serve a pay or quite notice, it gives the roommate a chance to make amends. However, there is always the chance that the roommate does not. When this happens, and all other non-legal means have been exhausted, it’s time to serve them an eviction notice. A landlord will file for an eviction for just that one roommate and then serve that roommate with the notice. The eviction notice should provide the roommate a certain number of days to vacate the premises.

Serving a pay or quit or notice or an eviction notice can be a troublesome affair. In these situations, it’s best to have a professional process server like those at Reliant Court Services do it for you. Contact us today at 631-567-3120 to learn more.