NYC Landlord Lawyer Helps When Tenants Stop Paying Rent In Queens

Is one of your tenants in Queens refusing to pay their rent? Reach out to landlord-tenant dispute lawyer Jeffrey W. Johnson for efficient and effective solutions.

As New York’s second most populous borough, Queens has a lot to offer renters, and its many diverse neighborhoods have attracted renters and buyers from nearly every background imaginable. This has made Queens one of the most diverse places on earth and a very attractive place to live, and to rent. If you can afford it.

Unfortunately, the demand for life in the bustling hub of New York City has consistently driven prices higher and higher; even the pandemic could barely put a dent in them. This has made life difficult for many renters who are not able to keep up and created frequent conflicts with their landlords when the rent goes unpaid.

Fortunately for Queens landlords with problem tenants, such disputes can be solved with minimal loss and hassle with the intervention of an experienced lawyer like Jeffrey W. Johnson.

Why Are Rent Disputes Difficult To Navigate In Queens?

With eternally rising rents, tenant non-payment instances are inevitable, and most are resolved quickly by apologetic tenants who do their best to catch up next month. However, an isolated instance can become a trend, and in other cases, tenants can start out with bad faith intentions and just stop paying. Recent trends, such as the influx of Chinese buyers in Flushing’s or the spike in Long Island City rents, have each added their set of problems into the mix.

To make matters worse for landlords, New York State and City laws protect tenants, at least up to a certain extent. Not only does the city provide free resources for tenants, but there are steep requirements for evictions, requiring you to navigate the New York housing court system when all you might want is to get the rent paid.

Queens, in particular, can be a tough borough in which to rent and own property. The borough has it all, from high-density apartments on both ends of the value/luxury spectrum to individual suburban-style housing units further out on Long Island. With nearly a million individual housing units, there is a lot to manage, and delays in housing courts can be significant and costly.

Luckily, you do not have to try to navigate this tricky situation alone. An experienced landlord-tenant dispute lawyer can help you reach a fair solution, avoid negative outcomes, and, most importantly, give you a better chance of getting that overdue rent paid!

How Can A Lawyer Help A Queens Landlord Deal With A Non-Paying Renter?

Having a renter who is getting behind on rent can be a real problem for any landlords who depend on that rent to make loan payments or to cover taxes, repairs, and expenses. This is why an experienced attorney like Jeffrey Johnson will always prioritize, first and foremost, whatever it is you want, whether that is a rapid eviction or a recovery of the unpaid rent.

Avoiding Costly Mistakes

Many landlords in Queens may be tempted to handle an unpaid rent situation on their own. You might try to reach out informally to seek a solution or, worse, try to put pressure on your tenant. Operating outside the court system is often illegal, however. At best, it is ineffective.

You can add significant delays to the eviction and sometimes even undermine your own case if you try to handle the dispute on your own and make mistakes. And given the complexity of New York City and Queens housing laws, it is all too easy to do so even if you are trying to do things by the book.

Working with an experienced attorney ensures no errors will come back to bite you and that your legal action against the tenant fully complies with New York housing laws with no loopholes a troublesome tenant can use to ignore your rights as a landlord.

Pursue Repayment

Tenants who are not taking you or threats of eviction seriously and continue to refuse to pay rent might respond very differently to a lawyer's phone call or personal visit. Sometimes, just having a lawyer on board, with their formality and gravitas, can be the move that pushes a reluctant tenant to cough up the rent they owe you.

When it is not, it is often because the renter feels they cannot afford to pay, in which case your lawyer is not just a source of leverage but also a negotiator and facilitator. Experienced attorneys like Jeffrey Johnson have access to tools, techniques, and contracts, such as payment plans, to propose for tenants who do want to pay but are just not currently able to. This is often your best chance at recovering what you can from the overdue rent, which a trip to court might end up erasing.

Finally, during such negotiations and visits, your attorney can evaluate the situation and help you make a decision about eviction.

Obtaining A legal Eviction In Queens With The Help Of A Lawyer

If you do decide to pursue eviction in Queens, your battle has only barely begun. Between the backlogged court system and the extensive protections and procedures required to obtain and enact an eviction, you have a long battle ahead.

Hiring an attorney with housing court and eviction experience is the best way to ensure a smooth process. They will know how to handle different types of cases and claims, as well as all notifications and paperwork to guarantee full compliance.

If it does come to a trial, a lawyer will have the confidence to speak to the judge, and one with local experience with the Queens’ courts will be aware of what arguments the specific judge will be receptive to maximize the effectiveness of your case.

Call Now For A Free Consultation! (718) 557-9767

Call A NYC Lawyer Near You To Handle Any Queens Landlord-Tenant Disputes

Law Office Of Jeffrey W. Johnson | A Lawyer you can count on to reach a rapid, efficient, and effective solution to your landlord-tenant non-payment of rent dispute.

There is no easy solution for you as a landlord when faced with a tenant who has fallen behind on their rent. But doing nothing will never help, and trying to handle matters on your own can quickly make things worse.

A lawyer, however, can take the burden of pursuing that unpaid rent, or any necessary eviction, off your already busy shoulders and improve your chance of a rapid and successful outcome. In fact, the sooner you reach out and hire an attorney, the faster you can get your money back or the eviction handled.

If your tenant is refusing to pay, or you are dealing with any other dispute, call Jeffrey Johnson today at (718) 557-9767 to set up a free consultation and get started on a solution so you can get back to being paid the rent you need on time in Queens.