Beyond following your 2025 resolutions, there’s a few new laws going into effect in the new year that you’ll need to abide by as well.
From minimum wage increases to the elimination of broker fees for potential tenants, here are five New York laws going into effect in 2025.
1. Minimum Wage Increase
Minimum wage in NYC, Westchester County and Long Island will increase to $16.50/hour come January 1, 2025. The rest of New York State will increase minimum wage to $15.50/hour. New Yorkers can expect another $0.50 increase to the minimum wage in 2026 before it will index to inflation beginning in 2027.
🗓️ Effective January 1, 2025
2. Paid Family Leave
In 2025, wage replacement benefits will increase in line with the New York State Average Weekly Wage. Employees who take Paid Family Leave in New York State will receive 67% of their average weekly wage for up to 12 weeks, capping at a maximum weekly benefit of $1,177.32. The 2025 New York State Average Weekly Wage (NYSAWW) is $26.16 more than than the 2024 maximum weekly benefit.
🗓️ Effective January 1, 2025
3. Equal Rights Amendment
On election day, New Yorkers voted in favor of Proposition 1 which will amend the New York Constitution to protect against discrimination based on race, color, creed and religion. It will also include protection against “unequal treatment based on ethnicity, national origin, age, disability, sex, sexual orientation, gender identity, gender expression, pregnancy, and pregnancy outcomes, as well as reproductive healthcare and autonomy. The amendment allows laws to prevent or undo past discrimination.”
🗓️ Effective January 1, 2025
4. Elimination of Broker Fees
The Fairness in Apartment Rental Expenses Act (FARE) will eliminate broker fees for tenants. The legislation outlines that it will be illegal for landlords who hire brokers to make prospective tenants pay the fees. “After too many decades under an unfair and suffocating system, New Yorkers can be free from the forced broker fee once this new law takes effect,” said Council Member Chi Ossé.
🗓️ Effective June 2025
5. Safe Hotels Act
This past November, Mayor Eric Adams signed the Safe Hotels Act into legislation, which demands NYC hotels acquire a license to legally operate. Operators will be required to pay a $350 fee for said license.
🗓️ Effective May 2025