N.Y.C. Admin. Code tit. 8, ch. 1 § 8-111
Answer (New York City Human Rights Law)
Operative Text
a. Within 30 days after a copy of the complaint is served upon the respondent by the commission, the respondent shall file a written, verified answer thereto with the commission, and the commission shall cause a copy of such answer to be served upon the complainant and any necessary party. b. The respondent shall specifically admit, deny, or explain each of the facts alleged in the complaint, unless the respondent is without knowledge or information sufficient to form a belief, in which case the respondent shall so state, and such statement shall operate as a denial. c. Any allegation in the complaint not specifically denied or explained shall be deemed admitted and shall be so found by the commission unless good cause to the contrary is shown. d. All affirmative defenses shall be stated separately in the answer. e. Upon request of the respondent and for good cause shown, the period within which an answer is required to be filed may be extended in accordance with the rules of the commission. f. Any necessary party may file with the commission a written, verified answer to the complaint, and the commission shall cause a copy of such answer to be served upon the complainant, respondent and any other necessary party. g. Any answer filed pursuant to this section may be amended pursuant to procedures prescribed by rule of the commission by filing such amended answer with the commission and serving a copy thereof upon the complainant and any necessary party to the proceeding. (Am. L.L. 2018/063, 1/19/2018, eff. 10/16/2018) Editor's note: For related unconsolidated provisions, see Appendix A at L.L. 1991/039 .
Under N.Y.C. Admin. Code §§ 8-101 et seq. § 8-111, when a discrimination complaint is filed with the New York City Commission on Human Rights, the party named as respondent has 30 days after being served to submit a written, verified answer addressing each factual allegation. Any allegation that is not specifically denied or explained in the answer is treated as admitted. The answer may be amended later under procedures set by the Commission, and extensions of the filing deadline are available upon a showing of good cause.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Property owners and managers named as respondents in a Commission on Human Rights complaint are governed by N.Y.C. Admin. Code §§ 8-101 et seq. § 8-111, which requires a written, verified answer within 30 days of service. Compliant operators generally address each factual allegation individually—admitting, denying, or explaining it—and state all affirmative defenses separately in the answer, since unaddressed allegations are deemed admitted. If more time is needed, operators typically request an extension from the Commission before the deadline passes and document the good cause supporting that request.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
If you have filed a complaint with the New York City Commission on Human Rights, N.Y.C. Admin. Code §§ 8-101 et seq. § 8-111 governs how the respondent must respond to your allegations. The Commission is required to serve a copy of the respondent's answer on you, and any allegation the respondent fails to specifically deny or explain is treated as admitted by operation of law. Tenants who want to understand how the answer affects their complaint may consult a tenant-rights organization or review the Commission's own procedural rules for guidance on next steps.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated September 30, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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