Eviction Laws in Plattsburgh, New York
Plattsburgh is the county seat of Clinton County, set on the western shore of Lake Champlain in New York’s North Country — across the lake from Vermont and roughly 25 miles south of the Canadian border and the Montreal region. With a population of about 19,800, it is a young, renter-heavy city: SUNY Plattsburgh anchors a large student rental market, the median age is only around 30, and roughly 62 percent of households rent. The former Plattsburgh Air Force Base, which closed in 1995, was redeveloped into Plattsburgh International Airport and a commerce park (the city court itself sits on the old base, at the “US Oval”). The median household income is about $56,000, but the poverty rate is high — roughly 23 percent, influenced by the large student population — and the median gross rent is around $965. The housing stock is mixed but generally older, with a median construction year near 1959 and more than a quarter of units 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.
Plattsburgh & Clinton County — Local Rules That Affect Landlords
No Local Rent Regulation — Baseline State Law Applies. Plattsburgh 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 Plattsburgh Student Market. The student rental segment shapes how most Plattsburgh landlords operate. Off-campus leases typically follow the academic calendar, often rely on parental guarantors or co-signers, and frequently take the form of group tenancies. When multiple 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 heavy summer turnover and concentrated leasing seasons; clear joint leases and documented condition reports are essential, and the same RPAPL notice-and-cure rules apply to students as to anyone else.
Border City & Former Air Base. Plattsburgh’s economy is shaped by its position on Lake Champlain and its proximity to Canada — cross-border shopping and tourism from Quebec are significant, and the redevelopment of the former Air Force Base into an airport and commerce park reshaped the local housing and job markets. Landlords occasionally encounter Canadian or out-of-area owners and tenants; standard New York landlord-tenant law applies regardless of where a party resides.
Older Housing Stock & Lead Paint. With a median construction year near 1959 and more than a quarter of units built before 1940, a large share of Plattsburgh 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 older multi-unit student housing.
North Country Climate & Heat Season. Plattsburgh sits in a cold North Country climate. 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 through the long winter, along with snow-removal responsibilities.
City Court & the 4th Judicial District. Plattsburgh is the Clinton County seat, and evictions for rental premises inside the city are filed at Plattsburgh City Court. After judgment, the Clinton 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. The Legal Aid Society of Northeastern New York serves qualifying low-income tenants in Clinton County, and the Fourth Judicial District Court Help Center offers procedural guidance for unrepresented parties. The Clinton 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. Plattsburgh does not impose additional local deposit requirements beyond state law.
Plattsburgh City Court — Where Plattsburgh Landlords File
Plattsburgh landlords file summary proceedings (nonpayment petitions and holdover petitions) at Plattsburgh City Court, located at 24 US Oval — on the grounds of the former Air Force Base — Plattsburgh, NY 12903. General phone: 518-536-3870. The court sits in the Fourth Judicial District (Clinton County); the City Court judges are the Hon. Timothy G. Blatchley and the Hon. Matthew G. Favro. The filing fee for a summary proceeding is approximately $45. After judgment, the Clinton 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 Clinton County Sheriff is authorized to physically remove a tenant.
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