Assignments

A tenant is said to have assigned a lease when he or she has given an apartment to another person permanently. This is different from subletting, where a tenant lends her apartment to someone for a temporary period of time. In an assignment, the old tenant gives the lease over to the new tenant and has nothing else to do with the apartment.

A rent stabilized tenant may not assign his/her lease without the written consent of the owner, which may be unconditionally withheld without cause. However, an owner who unreasonably refuses to grant permission to assign the lease, must release the tenant from the lease upon request of the tenant upon 30 days notice. If the owner reasonably withholds consent, the lease may not be assigned and the tenant will not be released from the lease.