The New York State Roommate Law allows an apartment tenant or owner-occupant to have a roommate, but only if the tenant or owner-occupant is the only person who signed the lease (or the Proprietary Lease in the case of owner-occupants). If two or more people signed the lease, they are not entitled to have any roommates. A roommate is a person who lives with you who is not a member of your immediate family (that is, not your spouse, child, grand-child, parent, grandparent, brother or sister), is not a guest (see Guests), and pays part of the rent or maintenance.
If you’re eligible to have a roommate and choose to do so, the Roommate Law requires you to inform the Co-op Board of the existence of your roommate within 30 days of the roommate’s having moved in. You will need to notify the Board in writing via the managing agent about your intentions. In your letter, include the name and contact information of your roommate.