N.Y. Real Prop. Law § 221
Rent due on life leases recoverable
Operative Text
§ 221. Rent due on life leases recoverable. Rent due on a lease for life or lives is recoverable by action, as well after as before the death of the person on whose life the rent depends, and in the same manner as rent due on a lease for years.
Under N.Y. Real Prop. Law § 221, rent that becomes due under a lease tied to the duration of a person's life can be pursued through a legal action regardless of whether that person is still living. The rule places life-lease rent on equal procedural footing with rent owed under a standard fixed-term lease, meaning the same legal mechanisms used to collect ordinary rent apply here as well. This provision ensures that the death of the measuring life does not extinguish any rent obligations that had already accrued.
Plain English — not legal advice.
N.Y. Real Prop. Law § 221 means that operators holding a life lease are not barred from recovering unpaid rent simply because the person whose life measured the lease term has died. A compliant and diligent property owner or manager generally documents rent accrual carefully throughout the lease period and pursues collection through the same court procedures used for conventional lease arrears. Keeping thorough records of payment history and lease terms is a practice commonly associated with successful recovery under this type of arrangement.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
N.Y. Real Prop. Law § 221 establishes that a tenant's rent obligations under a life lease do not automatically disappear upon the death of the person whose life defined the lease term. Tenants in this situation may wish to understand how the lease defines the measuring life and what obligations survived that event, as those questions can affect any collection action brought against them. Tenant-rights organizations and legal aid services can help explain how this provision interacts with any specific lease terms, and a tenant may also raise relevant defenses in any court proceeding initiated under this section.
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 13, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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