If you get the deadline wrong, your claim can die before anyone looks at the leak. In New York, you usually have 3 years from the injury date to sue a private landlord. If the building is owned by the New York City Housing Authority or another public entity, you may need a Notice of Claim within 90 days and a lawsuit within 1 year and 90 days.

To prove a Manhattan landlord ignored a dangerous leak, the key is showing notice: that the owner or manager knew or should have known about the condition and did not fix it in a reasonable time.

The best evidence is:

• Photos and video of the leak, puddle, stained ceiling, warped floor, broken lighting, or mold, taken right away and over time
• Repair requests: texts, emails, portal messages, letters to the super, management company, or landlord
• 311 complaints and any HPD violations or inspection records
• Witness statements from neighbors, doormen, porters, home aides, or delivery workers who saw the leak before your fall
• Medical records tying the fall to your injuries, especially ER records made the same day
• Incident reports from building staff or EMS
• Weather records if the leak followed heavy rain, flash flooding, or storm damage but the owner failed to secure the area

In a leak case, timing matters. A puddle that formed minutes before a fall is harder to prove than one tenants complained about for days or weeks.

If you slipped in a lobby, stairwell, laundry room, or entrance, get proof of how long the condition existed. Security footage can help, but many Manhattan buildings overwrite video fast. Ask for it immediately.

Also save every bill. If Medicare paid first, those payments may need to be addressed from any settlement, so keeping complete treatment records matters from the start.