Eviction Laws in Cortland, New York
Cortland is the county seat of Cortland County, a Central New York city of approximately 17,400 set between Syracuse and Ithaca. It is defined as a rental market by SUNY Cortland, a State University of New York campus of roughly 6,800 students — the city’s median age is just 27, the youngest of any small city in this guide, and renters make up about 54 percent of households. Once a manufacturing center (it was the longtime home of Smith Corona typewriters), Cortland today leans on the university, healthcare, and education for employment. The median household income is about $59,000, the poverty rate is roughly 21 percent (pulled up by the student population), and the median gross rent is around $980. The housing stock is among the oldest of New York’s college towns — the median construction year is 1947, and nearly 42 percent of all units were built before 1940.
New York eviction law — the Real Property Actions and Proceedings Law (RPAPL) Article 7 — requires landlords to serve a written notice before filing suit. For nonpayment of rent, a 14-day written rent demand is required under RPAPL § 711(2), specifying the exact amount owed and the time period covered. For lease violations, a 10-day notice to cure is required under RPAPL § 753(4). Month-to-month tenancies require 30 days’ notice if the tenancy is under one year, 60 days if between one and two years, and 90 days if the tenancy exceeds two years (RPL § 232-b as amended by HSTPA 2019). Once the notice period expires without compliance, the landlord files a summary proceeding (nonpayment or holdover petition) with the court. A critical protection added by the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019 (HSTPA): tenants may cure a nonpayment at any time until the sheriff physically executes the warrant of eviction — payment of all rent and fees owed stops the eviction entirely. Self-help eviction — changing locks, removing belongings, or shutting off utilities without a court order — is a criminal misdemeanor under RPAPL § 768.
As of August 18, 2024, all landlords statewide must include the Good Cause Eviction Law notice (RPL § 231-c) on every lease, every rent demand, every petition, and every notice — even for units that are exempt from the substantive Good Cause protections. Failure to include this notice can result in dismissal of the proceeding.
Cortland & Cortland County — Local Rules That Affect Landlords
No Local Rent Regulation — Baseline State Law Applies. Cortland has not opted into the Good Cause Eviction Law, and it has not adopted the Emergency Tenant Protection Act. There is no rent stabilization and no local Good Cause overlay, so tenancies are governed by baseline New York State law — RPAPL Article 7 together with the statewide HSTPA 2019 protections. The statewide RPL § 231-c Good Cause notice must still be included on leases and eviction papers, but landlords are not required to prove a “good cause” to decline a renewal or end a market-rate month-to-month tenancy, provided proper statutory notice is given. Every HSTPA protection — notice periods, right-to-cure, fee caps, and deposit rules — still fully applies.
The SUNY Cortland Student Market. With the youngest population of any city in this guide, Cortland’s rental market is dominated by student housing. Off-campus leases run on the academic calendar, frequently rely on parental guarantors or co-signers, and usually take the form of group tenancies. When several roommates sign one lease, they are normally jointly and severally liable — the landlord can pursue any one tenant for the full rent, and a nonpayment proceeding generally names all signatories. Expect concentrated leasing seasons and heavy summer turnover; clear joint leases and documented move-in/move-out condition reports are essential, and the same RPAPL notice-and-cure rules apply to students as to anyone else.
Very Old Housing Stock & Lead Paint. With a median construction year of 1947 and nearly 42 percent of units built before 1940, the great majority of Cortland rentals predate the 1978 lead-paint cutoff. Federal lead-paint disclosure is mandatory for pre-1978 housing, and aging systems make the warranty of habitability (RPL § 235-b) a frequent issue — proactive maintenance and documentation are essential, especially in the older multi-unit houses common in student neighborhoods.
Central New York Climate & Heat Season. Cortland sits in a cold, snowy part of Central New York. Under New York State law, landlords must provide heat from October 1 through May 31, maintaining at least 68 degrees Fahrenheit during the day when outdoor temperatures fall below 55 degrees, and at least 62 degrees overnight — a serious obligation in the long winter, along with snow-removal responsibilities.
City Court & the 6th Judicial District. Cortland is the Cortland County seat, and evictions for rental premises inside the city are filed at Cortland City Court. After judgment, the Cortland County Sheriff executes the warrant of eviction.
Source-of-Income Protection. Source-of-income discrimination is prohibited under the New York State Human Rights Law. Denying an applicant because they intend to pay with a Housing Choice Voucher, government subsidy, or other lawful source of income is illegal — landlords must evaluate ability to pay without regard to the source.
Free Legal Help. Legal Assistance of Western New York (LawNY) serves qualifying low-income tenants in Cortland County, and the Sixth Judicial District Court Help Center offers procedural guidance for unrepresented parties. The Cortland County Department of Social Services and the state’s Emergency Rental Assistance resources can help tenants with arrears.
Security Deposits. New York State law (HSTPA 2019, General Obligations Law § 7-108) governs all deposit handling. Maximum deposit is one month’s rent. It must be returned within 14 days of move-out with an itemized statement of deductions. Application fees are capped at $20 total. Late fees are capped at the lesser of $50 or 5 percent of monthly rent, with a 5-day grace period. Cortland does not impose additional local deposit requirements beyond state law.
Cortland City Court — Where Cortland Landlords File
Cortland landlords file summary proceedings (nonpayment petitions and holdover petitions) at Cortland City Court, located in City Hall at 25 Court Street, Cortland, NY 13045. General phone: 607-218-3300. The court sits in the Sixth Judicial District (Cortland County); the City Court judge is the Hon. Elizabeth A. Burns. The filing fee for a summary proceeding is approximately $45. After judgment, the Cortland County Sheriff executes the warrant of eviction and must give the tenant 14 days’ written notice before physical removal (RPAPL § 749). Because the city has not opted into Good Cause Eviction, a market-rate holdover does not require the landlord to prove a “good cause,” and uncontested nonpayment evictions often run about 4 to 8 weeks from demand to physical removal. In student group tenancies, name all jointly liable signatories on the petition. Contested proceedings run longer, and given the age of the housing stock, warranty-of-habitability defenses are common. Self-help eviction is a criminal misdemeanor under RPAPL § 768, and only the Cortland County Sheriff is authorized to physically remove a tenant.
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