Tenants across upstate New York are suing landlords over unsafe living conditions under a little-known law, often winning—but at a personal cost, according to the Times Union.
Since 2024, renters have filed over 320 cases under the Tenant Dignity and Safe Housing Act, seeking repairs, rent refunds, and safer homes. Albany leads with 70 cases. But the legal process can be long, expensive, and draining—one tenant, Eric Dinnen, waited nine months and is still owed thousands despite winning in court.
Judges can now reduce rent, order repairs, and offset evictions. But enforcement remains uneven, and tenants must often fight alone, without legal help…