Moving to NYC? Keep in Mind These Common Legal Issues People Face

If you've considered making a move to NYC in the near future, there are some things that you'll want to keep in mind legally that could affect your bottom line and your overall experience in the city. According to the CDC, one in five people are living with mental illness, and many of them are living in NYC as roommates to others or homeless out on the streets in one of the Burroughs. Keep reading for the information you need before making the move.

The Move Is Expensive

There are some costs to consider when you're getting an apartment in NYC. There is the average security deposit, and first month's rent that's required, but legally, they have something else known as the brokerage fee. This is a way to help you get a good apartment, even if you have roommates, but using someone to locate the property for you and have it vetted. This can even be a way to protect your information from data breaches. In the first half of 2019 alone, researchers believe that data breaches exposed over 4 billion records.

Jay-walking Is a Crime

If you decide to cross a street in NYC, you need to use a crosswalk, or you can get a ticket for jaywalking. Because the city is designed for walking, they have crosswalks at every intersection, so for your safety and the safety of others around, you'll need to wait for lights to cross and follow the pedestrian rules. With thousands of Americans being injured in motorcycle accidents, and over 1,000 of those people dying from their injuries, you don’t want to be a part of that demographic! If you don't show up for court or pay the fine, you could be found in contempt of court and have to serve jail time.

Tenant Rights

As a tenant, you do have some legal rights if you are in a situation that isn't ideal with your landlord. First, keep in mind that it's very common for multiple people to rent an apartment or space in NYC. As a renter, you have a right to be able to access your things and be given an ample amount of time if the landlord sells the property and the contract becomes void. You'll want to make sure that you have any lease written down and signed so that it is legally binding once you get to NYC.

Restaurant Rules

Some of the legal rules you'll find for restaurants in NYC may differ in other parts of the country. For example, if you work in the service industry, tip pooling isn't legal, and your owner shouldn't be trying to force you to share your tips with other employees. Also, any restaurant or service business that does shift work for their employees can no longer assign shifts at the last minute. If they decide they need an employee to work, they need to have an updated schedule available within 72 hours of that shift at least to reflect the change and the new shift. If they attempt to fire an employee for not showing up and they weren't given enough notice, then that business could be in legal trouble. There are also new laws and regulations surrounding minimum wage so that anyone working part-time and full-time is getting a wage that is able to sustain the rising costs in NYC.

If you're considering making that change to NYC and calling it home in the next few months, you'll want to brush up on the laws that are related to the city. Know what rights you have as a citizen, a tenant, and an employee. Everyone has their own path to make, but you need to make sure that you're doing everything you should by the book so that you are compliant and not finding yourself in a legal issue over something that you weren't sure about later on.