Buffalo, NY — landlord and rental rules

A residential nonpayment case requires a written 14-day rent demand. Rent increases of 5% or more and nonrenewals require 30, 60 or 90 days' notice according to occupancy and lease length; a late fee cannot exceed $50 or 5% of monthly rent, whichever is less.

These are statutory notice periods, not an estimate of how long a court case will take.

Rent demand

14 days

Nonrenewal / 5%+ increase

30, 60 or 90 days

Late fee

lesser of $50 or 5%

In effect since 2019-06-14.

Non-owner-occupied one- and two-family rentals register annually and receive proactive inspection and a Certificate of Rental Compliance every three years; three-or-more-unit buildings require a Certificate of Occupancy inspection.

The city source does not state a renewal cadence for the three-or-more-unit Certificate of Occupancy, so none is inferred.

The city's three-year proactive inspection of non-owner-occupied one- and two-unit rentals checks lead hazards; lead hazards can block a Certificate of Occupancy.

A separate state overlay reaches pre-1980 properties with two or more rental units only in specified Erie County community-of-concern ZIP codes. Confirm the address before applying that overlay.

Construction

Built before 1978

The state proactive lead-rental registry reaches pre-1980 buildings with two or more rental units only in listed Erie County community-of-concern ZIP codes.

Two or more rental units, and only inside the state's listed community-of-concern geography.

This is not Buffalo-only and not county-wide. Confirm the full ZIP/geographic qualifier, including partial-ZIP boundaries, before applying the three-year inspection and certification regime.

Unit counts

2+ units

Construction

Built before 1980

In effect since 2025-11-03.

New York caps a residential security deposit at one month's rent and requires return with an itemized statement within 14 days after the tenant vacates.

The cap applies statewide. Keep the deposit in trust, provide the required pre-move-out inspection opportunity, and document deductions rather than treating the deposit as the final month's rent.

In effect since 2019-07-14.