In this column a tenant living in a New York City apartment asks what would happen to their two year lease if they passed away before it expired. The individual specifically wants to know if his daughter would be responsible for the remainder of the lease. In the event of a person’s death the estate would be responsible for the lease. There is a provision in New York State property law that would permit the estate to find someone to take over the lease. If the estate makes a reasonable request to have someone take over the lease the landlord must either accept it or terminate the lease. The relevant provision in New York state property law can be read here.
See Ronda Kasen, Death and Leases, The New York Times, September 19, 2015.
