Owner Agrees to Put Lesbian Couple's Names on Rent-Stabilized Lease

A lesbian couple in New York City recently scored a victory when their building's owner and management company agreed to comply with city and state laws and put both women's names on the lease for their rent-stabilized Harlem apartment. The named tenant had sought to add her spouse's name to the lease after the couple married this past January.

She presented a copy of their marriage certificate to the management company and the building's owner but a representative responded harshly and said her spouse's name would never be added to the lease. The tenant then sought assistance from Lambda Legal. The advocacy group sent a letter on her behalf to the manager and owner. Lambda Legal recently announced that the companies had agreed to add the spouse's name to the rent-stabilized lease in accordance with the state marriage equality and rent control laws, and parts of the city and state human rights laws.