I could not pay rent from this March due to COVID and LL gave me a break on rent for the month of March and charged only 50% of rents from April to July with a payment plan to pay along with a full rent beginning August. Can LL file an eviction claim against me if I continue to pay only a portion of each bill (less than the payment plan we discussed)?
Sorry to hear of your situation. This site is for residential tenants, but we'll take a stab at this. There is no rent regulation for commercial tenants in NYC, so the rights and responsibilities of both the tenant and landlord would be spelled out in the lease.
It's good to hear that your LL has given you a break on the rent. Many will not. Understand that the LL has expenses for the building, i.e., taxes and mortgage payments, whether or not he has any tenants.
If the agreement for half rent and a payback plan are in writing, I think it would be hard for them to maintain a court claim, assuming you are current with the reduced outstanding rent. A written agreement might spell out at what point the LL could commence a court action if you fell behind.
If you wish to be certain, I would consult an attorney. Most of our attorney advertisers specialize in residential housing, but a few also take on commercial matters.
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