S 8570 NY
Relates to enacting the central air conditioner and heat pump rights act
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Summary
This bill prohibits homeowners' associations from adopting or enforcing rules that effectively ban or unreasonably restrict the installation or use of central air conditioners or heat pumps in New York. Restrictions that inhibit the equipment from functioning at full efficiency or increase installation costs by more than 10 percent are considered unreasonable and unenforceable. If a homeowners' association requires approval for installation, it must process applications promptly and issue written decisions within 60 days, or the application is deemed approved. Homeowners' associations may still restrict units on commonly owned property. If a homeowner prevails in a legal action to enforce these rights, the homeowners' association must pay the homeowner's attorney's fees.
AI-generated plain-language summary of the bill text — neutral, and may be imperfect. See the full text below for the exact wording.
Official abstract
Relates to enacting the central air conditioner and heat pump rights act; provides that a homeowners' association may not adopt or enforce any rules or regulations that would effectively prohibit, or impose unreasonable limitations on, the installation or use of a central air conditioner or heat pump.
Sponsor (1)
- James Sanders Jr. Democratic · primary
Action history (4)
- Nov 7, 2025 REFERRED TO RULES · upper
- Jan 7, 2026 REFERRED TO JUDICIARY · upper
- May 8, 2026 AMEND AND RECOMMIT TO JUDICIARY · upper
- May 8, 2026 PRINT NUMBER 8570A · upper
Text versions (3)
Full text
Full text imported from assembly.state.ny.us
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Bill No.: Summary Actions Committee Votes Floor Votes Memo Text LFIN Chamber Video/Transcript S08570 Summary: BILL NO S08570A   SAME AS SAME AS A09523
  SPONSOR SANDERS   COSPNSR   MLTSPNSR   Add Art 9-F §344-o, RP L   Relates to enacting the central air conditioner and heat pump rights act; provides that a homeowners' association may not adopt or enforce any rules or regulations that would effectively prohibit, or impose unreasonable limitations on, the installation or use of a central air conditioner or heat pump.
Go to top S08570 Text:
STATE OF NEW YORK ________________________________________________________________________
8570--A
2025-2026 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
November 7, 2025 ___________
Introduced by Sen. SANDERS -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Rules -- recommitted to the Committee on Judiciary in accordance with Senate Rule 6, sec. 8 -- committee discharged, bill amended, ordered reprinted as amended and recommitted to said committee
AN ACT to amend the real property law, in relation to enacting the central air conditioner and heat pump rights act
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assem- bly, do enact as follows:
1 Section 1. The real property law is amended by adding a new article 2 9-F to read as follows: 3 ARTICLE 9-F 4 CENTRAL AIR CONDITIONER AND HEAT PUMP RIGHTS ACT 5 Section 344-o. Certain covenants, conditions, and restrictions of home- 6 owners' associations prohibited. 7 § 344-o. Certain covenants, conditions, and restrictions of homeown- 8 ers' associations prohibited. 1. For the purposes of this section: 9 (a) "restriction on use" shall mean any covenant, restriction, or 10 condition contained in: 11 (i) a deed; 12 (ii) a contract; 13 (iii) the by-laws of a homeowners' association; 14 (iv) any rules or regulations adopted by a homeowners' association; 15 (v) a security agreement; or 16 (vi) any other instrument affecting the transfer or sale of, or any 17 interest in, real property. 18 (b) "central air conditioner" shall mean a type of heating, venti- 19 lation and air conditioning system that is designed to cool an entire 20 home or building, cools air in a central location and distributes it 21 through a network of ducts and vents.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets [ ] is old law to be omitted. LBD11375-02-6
S. 8570--A 2
1 (c) "heat pump" shall mean a device that transfers heat from one place 2 to another, using electricity, and can provide both heating and cooling. 3 2. A homeowners' association may not adopt or enforce any rules or 4 regulations that would effectively prohibit, or impose unreasonable 5 limitations on, the installation or use of a central air conditioner or 6 heat pump. A restriction on use which effectively prohibits the instal- 7 lation or use of a central air conditioner or heat pump is unenforceable 8 and shall be void as contrary to public policy. For the purposes of this 9 subdivision, an unreasonable limitation includes, but is not limited to, 10 any restriction on use that: 11 (a) inhibits the central air conditioner or heat pump from functioning 12 at its intended maximum efficiency; or 13 (b) increases the central air conditioner or heat pump's installation 14 or maintenance costs by an amount which is estimated to be greater than 15 ten percent of the total cost of the initial installation of the central 16 air conditioner or heat pump, including the costs of labor and equip- 17 ment. 18 3. Notwithstanding subdivision two of this section, a homeowners' 19 association may adopt or enforce a restriction on use to prohibit the 20 installation of a central air conditioner or heat pump that is located 21 on property owned by the homeowners' association or that is located on 22 property owned in common by the members of the homeowners' association. 23 4. If approval for the installation or use of a central air condition- 24 er or heat pump is required by a homeowners' association, the applica- 25 tion for approval shall be processed and approved by the association in 26 a manner prescribed by the association and shall not be willfully 27 avoided or delayed. The approval or denial of an application shall be in 28 writing. Any denial of a homeowner's application shall include a 29 detailed description of the exact basis for the denial and shall include 30 specific examples of the homeowners' association's concerns, if applica- 31 ble. If an application is not denied in writing within sixty days from 32 the date of receipt of the application, the application shall be deemed 33 approved, unless that delay is the result of a reasonable request for 34 additional information. 35 5. A central air conditioner or heat pump shall meet the requirements 36 established by any local, state or federal law, rule or regulation on 37 health and safety standards and those requirements imposed by state and 38 local permitting authorities. 39 6. In any action by a homeowner requesting to have a central air 40 conditioner or heat pump installed and seeking to enforce compliance 41 with this section, the homeowner shall be awarded reasonable attorney's 42 fees if such homeowner prevails. 43 § 2. This act shall take effect on the sixtieth day after it shall 44 have become a law.
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