What are the steps to evict a tenant for unpaid rent in New York?

In New York, an eviction for unpaid rent runs through 8 steps, each set by the statute or court rule beside it: (1) Serve a 14-day written rent demand — RPAPL § 711(2); (2) Wait the full 14 days for payment — RPAPL § 711(2); (3) Prepare the notice of petition and petition — RPAPL § 741; (4) File and buy an index number — CPLR § 321(a); (5) Serve the notice of petition and petition, 10 to 17 days before the return date — RPAPL §§ 733, 735; (6) The return date — RPAPL § 732; (7) Judgment and warrant of eviction — RPAPL § 749; (8) Marshal’s 14-day notice of eviction — RPAPL § 749(2). Rent must be demanded in writing 14 days before a nonpayment proceeding, and the demand must state the rent due by month. A tenant may pay the full amount at any point up to the execution of the warrant and the proceeding ends. New York City adds requirements of its own. The procedure as a whole is set by RPAPL Article 7 (§§ 711, 731, 733, 735, 749); RPL § 235-e; Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019.

WhatNew York
CourtDistrict, City, Town or Village Court (Housing Part). In New York City, the Housing Part of the Civil Court.
Steps with a citation8
Cities with their own rules on fileNew York City

Notes

Rent must be demanded in writing 14 days before a nonpayment proceeding, and the demand must state the rent due by month. A tenant may pay the full amount at any point up to the execution of the warrant and the proceeding ends.

Source

RPAPL Article 7 (§§ 711, 731, 733, 735, 749); RPL § 235-e; Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019 — last checked 2026-09-16.

This is a summary of the published procedure, not legal advice. Courts, local rules and the facts of a tenancy change what applies, and a defect in a notice or a filing can end a case. Have a lawyer review anything before it is served or filed.

How Seayora uses this rule

Seayora does not file, serve or appear in an eviction, and is not anybody’s lawyer. When a tenant has stopped paying, it lays out these steps for the property’s own state and city with the statute beside each one, holds back any step that would come too early, keeps an append-only record of the case — and shows the resident what would end it, legal-aid links included.

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