STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. — New York joined more than two dozen states in requiring homeowners to disclose flood risk before selling properties after Gov. Kathy Hochul signed legislation mandating the practice.
Climate change is expected to worsen the impact of extreme weather, increasing rainfall rates, and exacerbating coastal flooding, experts have said. Those insidious changes are likely to put a wide swath of infrastructure and homes at risk in the coming decades.
A pair of bills — the flood risk-disclosure legislation and another law aimed at directing the state Department of Environmental Conservation to prioritize nature-based solutions for shoreline management — underscores the changes needed to respond to the reality triggered by human-induced climate change.
“Today marks a monumental step forward in our mission to protect New Yorkers from the impacts of climate change and extreme weather events,” Hochul said in a release last week. “This legislation highlights our commitment to restoring natural habitats, which are our greatest natural barrier for extreme flooding, and safeguarding New Yorkers from the long-term dangers of flooding.”
New York joins at least 30 other states that already require homeowners to inform potential buyers of flood risk prior to a sale. A similar law is in place for rental properties.
Previously, sellers could pay a $500 fee to avoid informing buyers about flood risk, including if the property experienced flooding in the past. The new law axes that loophole and requires flood history and flood insurance claim history for property transactions.
“As we work to fight climate change, we also have to take measures in response to the harm it is causing,” said Assemblymember Robert Carroll, who sponsored the bill he said would “help New Yorkers by ensuring that they have the information they need to best protect their homes against flooding at the time of making a home purchase.”
Advocates said the state’s previous rules…
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