N.Y.C. Admin. Code tit. 8, ch. 1 § 8-120

Decision and order (New York City Human Rights Law)

In Force
Verified 10/27/2026 · Next check 11/3/2026
New York CityProtected Classes (State/Local)

Operative Text

N.Y.C. Admin. Code tit. 8, ch. 1 § 8-120
a. If, upon all the evidence at the hearing, and upon the findings of fact, conclusions of law and relief recommended by an administrative law judge, the commission shall find that a respondent has engaged in any unlawful discriminatory practice or any act of discriminatory harassment or violence as set forth in chapter 6 of this title, the commission shall state its findings of fact and conclusions of law and shall issue and cause to be served on the complainant, respondent, any necessary party and any complainant who has not intervened an order requiring such respondent to cease and desist from such unlawful discriminatory practice or acts of discriminatory harassment or violence. Such order shall require the respondent to take such affirmative action as, in the judgment of the commission, will effectuate the purposes of this chapter or chapter 6 of this title, as applicable, including, but not limited to:



1. Hiring, reinstatement or upgrading of employees;



2. The award of back pay and front pay;



3. Admission to membership in any respondent labor organization;



4. Admission to or participation in a program, apprentice training program, on-the-job training program or other occupational training or retraining program;



5. The extension of full, equal and unsegregated accommodations, advantages, facilities and privileges;



6. Evaluating applications for membership in a club that is not distinctly private, without unlawful discrimination;



7. Selling, renting or leasing, or approving the sale, rental or lease of housing accommodations, land or commercial space or an interest therein, or the provision of credit with respect thereto, without unlawful discrimination;



8. Payment of compensatory damages to the person aggrieved by such practice or act;



9. Submission of reports with respect to the manner of compliance; and



10. Payment of the complainant's reasonable attorney's fees, expert fees and other costs. The commission may consider matter-specific factors when determining the complainant's attorney's fee award, including, but not limited to:



(i) Novelty or difficulty of the issues presented;



(ii) Skill and experience of the complainant's attorney; and



(iii) The hourly rate charged by attorneys of similar skill and experience litigating similar cases in New York county.



b. If, upon all the evidence at the hearing, and upon the findings of fact and conclusions of law recommended by the administrative law judge, the commission shall find that a respondent has not engaged in any such unlawful discriminatory practice or act of discriminatory harassment or violence as set forth in chapter 6 of this title, the commission shall state its findings of fact and conclusions of law and shall issue and cause to be served on the complainant, respondent, and any necessary party and on any complainant who has not intervened an order dismissing the complaint as to such respondent.



(Am. L.L. 2016/036, 3/28/2016, eff. 3/28/2016; 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 and L.L. 2005/085 .
Source: Legislative text reproduced verbatim
Plain English

Under N.Y.C. Admin. Code §§ 8-101 et seq. § 8-120, after a hearing before the New York City Commission on Human Rights, an administrative law judge issues findings of fact and conclusions of law, and the Commission then decides whether a respondent engaged in unlawful discriminatory practices or acts of discriminatory harassment or violence. If the Commission finds a violation, it issues a cease-and-desist order and can require a wide range of remedies—including making housing available without discrimination, paying compensatory damages, and covering the complainant's attorney's fees and costs. If no violation is found, the Commission issues an order dismissing the complaint.

Written by anthropic/claude-sonnet-4.6 · Reviewed on October 1, 2026

Plain English — not legal advice.

For Property Managers

Property owners and managers subject to a complaint under N.Y.C. Admin. Code §§ 8-101 et seq. § 8-120 should understand that a Commission finding of unlawful discrimination in housing—such as refusing to rent or sell based on a protected characteristic—can result in orders to rent or sell without discrimination, pay compensatory damages to the aggrieved party, and reimburse the complainant's attorney's fees and expert costs. Compliant operators generally maintain consistent, documented, non-discriminatory criteria for evaluating rental or sales applications and keep records that demonstrate equal treatment across all applicants. Familiarity with the full range of remedies available under § 8-120 can inform how housing businesses structure their policies and training programs.

General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.

For Tenants

N.Y.C. Admin. Code §§ 8-101 et seq. § 8-120 establishes that tenants or housing applicants who believe they have experienced unlawful housing discrimination may file a complaint with the New York City Commission on Human Rights, which can hold a hearing and issue binding orders if a violation is found. Remedies available under § 8-120 include orders requiring a landlord to make housing available without discrimination, payment of compensatory damages, and reimbursement of attorney's fees and expert costs. Tenants exploring their options may consider contacting the Commission on Human Rights directly, reaching out to a tenant-rights organization, or consulting an attorney familiar with New York City human rights law.

General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.

Generated October 1, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.

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Related Rules

§ 1
Definitions
§ 3
Functions, powers and duties of commission
§ 4
Unlawful practices

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