Rima v. Alvarez

In Rima v. Alvarez, 257 AD2d 201 [1999], the lease between the parties conferred to the tenants the unlimited right to sublet. The Appellate Division, First Department, held this is in direct violation of Real Property Law 226-b which was enacted to meet the continued public emergency in housing. The Court noted that it was not the purpose of the Rent Stabilization Law to create a class of mini-landlords and found the clause allowing the unlimited right to sublet null and void and unenforceable.