Every key deadline New York law puts on the other side — and on you — on one printable page. Deadlines drive these disputes: miss one and rights may be lost; catch the other side missing one and leverage may appear.
Statutes verified against current law as of July 2026 by Daniel Hochman, Esq. · More free NY tools →
| Deadline | What it means | Authority |
|---|---|---|
| 14 days | After you vacate, the landlord must return your security deposit with a written itemized statement of any deductions. Missing the deadline forfeits the right to retain any portion, and punitive damages of up to twice the deposit are available where the violation was willful. Deposit letter → | GOL § 7-108(1-a)(e), (g) |
| $20 / 1 month | Rental application fees are capped at $20 and security deposits at one month's rent; amounts above either cap may be recoverable. | HSTPA · GOL § 7-108 |
| 30 / 60 / 90 days | Notice a landlord must give before a rent increase of 5% or more or a non-renewal: 30 days (tenancy under 1 year), 60 days (1–2 years), 90 days (over 2 years). | RPL § 226-c |
| 14 days | The written rent demand a landlord must serve before starting a nonpayment case. | RPAPL § 711(2) |
| 30 days | Occupancy of 30 days or more means an occupant may only be removed by court order; self-help eviction is a class A misdemeanor, with treble damages available for forcible ouster. | RPAPL §§ 768, 853 |
| Oct 1 – May 31 | NYC heat season: 68°F by day, 62°F at night when outdoor temperatures trigger the rule. | NYC heat rules · RPL § 235-b |
| Deadline | What it means | Authority |
|---|---|---|
| Regular payday | Final wages are due no later than the regular payday for your final pay period — no "processing time" exception. Unpaid wages may carry 100% liquidated damages plus attorney's fees. | NYLL §§ 191, 198(1-a) |
| 30 days | Where a written policy provides accrued vacation payout, failing to pay it within 30 days is a violation. | NYLL § 198-c |
| Contract date / 30 days | Freelancers must be paid by the contract's payment date, or within 30 days of completed work if no date was set. Nonpayment may carry double damages plus attorney fees, with six years to bring a claim. | Freelance Isn't Free Act · GBL Art. 44-A |
| 5 business days | Independent sales reps' earned commissions are due within five business days after the contract ends; failure to pay timely may carry double damages plus fees. | Lab. L. § 191-c |
| 6 years | The lookback for New York wage claims — older unpaid overtime, shorted hours, and deductions are reachable. | NYLL § 198 |
| Deadline | What it means | Authority |
|---|---|---|
| 30 days | After a collector's validation notice, dispute in writing within 30 days and the collector must cease collection until the debt is verified. The strongest opening move the statute offers. | FDCPA · 15 U.S.C. § 1692g |
| 3 years | New York's statute of limitations on consumer credit debt — and payment no longer revives old debt. Debt with no payment or activity for over 3 years may be time-barred. | CPLR § 214-i |
| 3 years / 2% | Medical debt actions carry a three-year limitations period; consumer debt judgments accrue interest at 2%, not 9%. No wage garnishment or primary-residence liens to enforce medical debt judgments. | CPLR §§ 213-d, 5004, 5201(b), 5231 |
| 30 days | Credit bureaus must reinvestigate a disputed error within 30 days and delete what cannot be verified. | FCRA |
| 20 / 30 days | If a collector sues you in New York, you generally have 20 or 30 days to answer — defaults are how collectors win. | CPLR |
| Deadline | What it means | Authority |
|---|---|---|
| 15 days | Bounced check: enhanced statutory damages require a two-step written demand sequence — a first certified-mail demand in the statute's form, then a second demand mailed at least fifteen days after receipt of the first. | GOL § 11-104 |
| 6 years | The contract limitations period for unpaid invoices and bounced-check claims, with 9% statutory interest running from the due date on commercial debts. | CPLR · GOL |
| 90 / 60 / 30 days | Used Car Lemon Law warranty periods, tiered by mileage at purchase (or 4,000 / 3,000 / 1,000 miles of driving, whichever comes first), on qualifying dealer-sold cars — regardless of "as-is" stickers. | GBL § 198-b |
| 15 business days | Insurers must acknowledge a claim within 15 business days, decide (or explain in writing) within 15 business days of your proof of loss, and send status letters every 90 days while a claim sits. | 11 NYCRR 216 (Reg 64) |
A flat-fee attorney demand letter, signed by a licensed New York attorney and mailed certified within 48 hours, is usually the fastest way to put a statute to work.
Start My Letter — from $129 Which letter do I need?Attorney Advertising. This cheat sheet is general legal information about New York and federal law, not legal advice about your specific situation, and using it does not create an attorney-client relationship. Deadlines can vary with facts, exceptions, and amendments; outcomes described as "may" or "up to" are discretionary and fact-dependent, and no outcome is guaranteed. Statutes verified against current law as of July 2026. DemandLetterNY is a service of Hochman Law PC, 224 East 12th Street, New York, NY 10003 · (917) 653-7259 · demandletterny.com