Tenant Resources & Assistance
Need help with a housing problem? Mount Vernon United Tenants connects tenants with trusted local, county, state, federal, and nonprofit resources for housing problems, tenant rights, eviction prevention, repairs, rent issues, Section 8, discrimination, utilities, emergency assistance and other concerns.
Is This an Emergency?
Immediate danger, fire, gas leak, violence or life-threatening emergency
Call 911Facing eviction or housing court?
Westchester Housing Counsel: 914-995-4814Need emergency housing after hours?
Westchester DSS: 914-995-2099Need general community assistance?
Dial 211
Not Sure Where to Start?
Mount Vernon United Tenants (MVUTS)
- Phone:
- 914-699-1114
- Website:
- https://mvuts.org
Showing 25 of 25 resources.
Tenant Rights Information
Statewide information for residential tenants, plus a housing complaint process and a printable tenants’ rights guide.
What they help with
- Tenant rights, leases, and rent
- Security deposits and landlord responsibilities
- Safety and utility services
- Landlord harassment and retaliation
- Housing discrimination and tenant complaints
- Telephone:
- 1-800-771-7755
- Deaf/Hard of Hearing:
- 1-800-788-9898
- Hours:
- Contact organization for current hours
Eviction Prevention & Right to Counsel
County office that connects tenants facing eviction with legal representation and housing-court assistance.
What they help with
- Evictions and landlord-tenant court matters
- Tenants behind on rent
- Legal representation and right to counsel
- Housing-court assistance
- Housing Counsel Helpline:
- 914-995-4814
- 211 Assistance (24/7):
- 211
- Hours:
- Contact organization for current hours
Urgent court date?
If you have a court date, a hearing, or papers that require a response, say that your matter is urgent when you call. United Way 211 is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
Free Legal Assistance
Free civil legal help for eligible residents, with an office in Mount Vernon.
What they help with
- Eviction defense and landlord-tenant disputes
- Housing conditions and illegal lockouts
- Affordable housing and Section 8 issues
- Housing discrimination
- Public benefits and disability advocacy
- Domestic violence and other civil legal matters
- Legal Assistance Intake:
- 1-877-574-8529
- Mount Vernon Office:
- 914-813-6880
- Address:
- 100 East 1st Street, Mount Vernon, NY 10550
- Hours:
- Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM
Rent Stabilization / Rent Control
State office that administers rent-regulated housing, including rent stabilization, rent control, and ETPA apartments.
What they help with
- Rent stabilization, rent control, and ETPA apartments
- Rent history and lease renewals
- Rent overcharges and reduced services
- Harassment in rent-regulated housing
- Finding out whether an apartment is rent regulated
- Rent Info Line:
- 1-833-499-0343
- Westchester County Rent Office:
- 914-948-4434
- Address:
- Westchester County Rent Office: 75 South Broadway, 3rd Floor, White Plains, NY 10601
- Hours:
- Contact organization for current hours
Rent Overcharges
Tenants in rent-regulated apartments who believe they are being charged an illegal rent may obtain information and file a rent-overcharge complaint with NYS Homes and Community Renewal.
What they help with
- Illegal rent and rent-overcharge questions
- Filing a rent-overcharge complaint
- Rent increase rules for regulated apartments
- Rent Info Line:
- 1-833-499-0343
- Hours:
- Contact organization for current hours
Housing Conditions & Landlord Repairs
City office that enforces housing and building codes in Mount Vernon.
What they help with
- Unsafe housing conditions
- Building-code violations
- Maintenance problems the landlord will not fix
- Housing-code concerns
- Mount Vernon City Hall:
- 914-665-2300
- Hours:
- Contact organization for current hours
Document the problem
Keep photographs, videos, written requests to the landlord, dates, receipts, notices, and other evidence relating to housing conditions whenever possible.
Heat, Hot Water & Essential Services
Landlords have obligations concerning essential services and habitable housing. For rent-regulated apartments, NYS Homes and Community Renewal handles reduced-service complaints. Mount Vernon handles local housing-code concerns.
What they help with
- No heat or no hot water
- Loss of essential services
- Reduced services in rent-regulated apartments
- NYS HCR Rent Info:
- 1-833-499-0343
- Mount Vernon City Hall:
- 914-665-2300
- Hours:
- Contact organization for current hours
No heat / dangerous condition
If a condition presents an immediate fire, gas, electrical, structural, or life-safety emergency, contact the appropriate emergency service right away.
Rats, Mice, Roaches, Garbage & Unsanitary Conditions
Handles exterior garbage and sanitation-related complaints in Mount Vernon. For building conditions, infestations, and unsafe property conditions, also use the city’s Report a Concern form.
What they help with
- Rats
- Mice
- Roaches
- Garbage
- Illegal dumping
- Unsanitary common areas
- Unsafe yard
- Pest infestation
- Sanitation Complaints:
- 914-665-2465
- Hours:
- Contact organization for current hours
Landlord Harassment & Retaliation
New York tenants have protections against unlawful landlord retaliation and harassment. The Attorney General provides information and accepts housing complaints.
What they help with
- Landlord harassment
- Retaliation after complaining or organizing
- Filing a housing complaint
- Telephone:
- 1-800-771-7755
- Hours:
- Contact organization for current hours
Investigates patterns of fraud and harassment involving rent-regulated housing.
What they help with
- Harassment in rent-regulated buildings
- Patterns of landlord fraud
- Tenant Protection Unit:
- 212-872-0788
- Hours:
- Contact organization for current hours
Security Deposit Problems
The New York Attorney General provides information about security deposits and landlord obligations.
What they help with
- Security deposit rules and limits
- Getting a deposit returned
- Filing a complaint about a withheld deposit
- Telephone:
- 1-800-771-7755
- Hours:
- Contact organization for current hours
Housing Discrimination
State agency that investigates housing discrimination under New York law.
What they help with
- Housing discrimination complaints
- Discrimination based on protected characteristics under New York law
- Call Center:
- 844-697-3471
- TTY:
- 718-741-8300
- Hours:
- Contact organization for current hours
Federal Fair Housing Rights
Federal Fair Housing Act protections and complaint information.
What they help with
- Fair Housing Act protections
- Housing discrimination complaints
- Disability-related housing rights
- Hours:
- Contact organization for current hours
Disability & Reasonable Accommodation
New York State Division of Human Rights: New York State housing providers must inform tenants and prospective tenants about their rights to request reasonable accommodations and modifications related to disabilities.
What they help with
- Requesting a reasonable accommodation or modification
- Disability-related housing rights
- Filing a discrimination complaint
- NYS Division of Human Rights:
- 844-697-3471
- Hours:
- Contact organization for current hours
Section 8 & Rental Assistance
County information about rental assistance and housing programs, including senior rental assistance.
What they help with
- Rental assistance programs
- Section 8 and housing voucher information
- Affordable housing in Westchester County
- Hours:
- Contact organization for current hours
Emergency Rent / Financial Assistance
Temporary assistance and help with urgent financial needs, including some housing and eviction-related emergencies.
What they help with
- Temporary financial assistance
- Urgent housing and eviction-related emergencies
- Help applying for benefits
- Customer Service:
- 914-995-3333
- Address:
- Mount Vernon DSS Office: 100 East First Street, Mount Vernon, NY 10550
- Hours:
- Monday–Friday, 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM
Homelessness Prevention & Emergency Housing
Emergency housing assistance for households with nowhere to stay, including after hours, weekends, and holidays. United Way 211 is available 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.
What they help with
- Emergency shelter and placement
- Homelessness prevention
- After-hours emergency housing
- After Hours / Weekends / Holidays:
- 914-995-2099
- Mount Vernon:
- 914-840-9539
- 211 (24/7):
- 211
- Hours:
- Contact organization for current hours
Senior Citizen Housing Rights
Eligible tenants in certain rent-regulated housing may qualify for rent-increase exemptions such as SCRIE or DRIE, depending on local eligibility.
What they help with
- SCRIE and DRIE rent-increase exemptions
- Special rights for senior and disabled tenants
- Senior programs and services in Westchester County
- Westchester County Rent Office:
- 914-948-4434
- Westchester Senior Programs and Services:
- 914-813-6300
- Hours:
- Contact organization for current hours
Domestic Violence & Housing Safety
Crisis intervention, safety planning, assistance accessing shelter, advocacy, orders of protection, counseling, and referrals.
What they help with
- Crisis intervention and safety planning
- Help accessing shelter
- Orders of protection and advocacy
- Counseling and referrals
- Toll-Free Helpline:
- 855-827-2255
- Local Hotline:
- 914-345-9111
- Hours:
- Contact organization for current hours
If there is immediate danger, call 911.
Help is available 24 hours a day through the hotlines listed in this section.
24-hour domestic violence hotline serving Westchester County.
What they help with
- 24-hour domestic violence support
- Shelter and safety help
- 24-Hour Hotline:
- 1-888-438-8700
- Hours:
- Contact organization for current hours
24-hour domestic violence hotline serving Westchester County.
What they help with
- 24-hour domestic violence support
- Shelter and safety help
- 24-Hour Hotline:
- 1-888-298-7233
- Hours:
- Contact organization for current hours
Gas, Electric & Utility Assistance
Payment plans, budget billing, the Energy Affordability Program, HEAP, EnergyShare, and protections for seniors, customers with disabilities, medical emergencies, and cold and hot weather periods.
What they help with
- Payment plans and budget billing
- Energy Affordability Program and EnergyShare
- HEAP referrals
- Senior, disability, and medical-emergency protections
- Cold and hot weather protections
- Customer Service:
- 1-800-752-6633
- Payment Assistance / Resource Direct:
- 1-212-358-4565
- Senior Direct:
- 1-800-404-9097
- Hours:
- Senior Direct: Monday–Friday, 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM
HEAP — Home Energy Assistance
Help with heating and cooling costs for eligible households and certain energy emergencies.
What they help with
- Heating and cooling cost assistance
- Energy emergencies for eligible households
- HEAP applications and forms
- OTDA Hotline:
- 1-800-342-3009
- Hours:
- Contact organization for current hours
HEAP is seasonal
Program availability and application periods change. Check the official NYS HEAP website for current application status.
Food & SNAP Assistance
SNAP food benefits and general Department of Social Services assistance.
What they help with
- SNAP food benefits
- Applying for county assistance programs
- SNAP / General DSS Customer Service:
- 914-995-3333
- Address:
- Mount Vernon DSS Office: 100 East First Street, Mount Vernon, NY 10550
- Hours:
- Monday–Friday, 8:30 AM – 5:00 PM
Mount Vernon City Court — Landlord/Tenant Matters
Handles landlord/tenant matters for the City of Mount Vernon.
What they help with
- Landlord/tenant court filings and appearances
- Court dates and case information
- Main:
- 914-831-6440
- Civil:
- 914-831-6410
- Address:
- 2 Roosevelt Square North, 2nd Floor, Mount Vernon, NY 10550
- Hours:
- Monday–Friday, 9:00 AM – 5:00 PM, excluding New York State holidays
Important
Court staff cannot replace an attorney. If you are facing eviction, also contact the Westchester Office of Housing Counsel (914-995-4814) and Legal Services of the Hudson Valley (1-877-574-8529).
Tenant Guides, Forms & Downloads
Guides, forms, and fact sheets tenants can download and keep.
Residential Tenants’ Rights Guide
New York Attorney General
Rent Stabilization and Rent Control — Fact Sheet #1
NYS Homes and Community Renewal
HCR Tenant Forms
NYS Homes and Community Renewal
Find official New York State tenant forms for rent overcharges, lease problems, reduced services, rent reductions, harassment, rent regulation and other tenant issues. Many forms are available as fillable PDFs.
Tenant Rights to Reasonable Accommodation
NYS Division of Human Rights
New York State housing providers must inform tenants and prospective tenants about their rights to request reasonable accommodations and modifications related to disabilities.
Information provided on this page is for general informational and referral purposes and is not legal advice. Programs, eligibility requirements, telephone numbers, office hours and services may change. Contact the organization directly for current information. If you are facing an eviction, court deadline or other legal matter, seek qualified legal assistance promptly.