Cal. Civ. Code § 15
Separability
Operative Text
§ 15. Separability. If any provision of this act or the application of such provision to any person or circumstances shall be held invalid, the validity of the remainder of the act and the applicability of such provision to other persons or circumstances shall not be affected thereby.
Section 15 of New York's Emergency Housing Rent Control Law is a separability (or severability) clause, which establishes that the law is designed to function in parts. If a court finds that any single provision of the act is invalid—or that a provision cannot lawfully apply to a particular person or situation—the rest of the act remains fully intact and enforceable. The invalidity of one piece does not bring down the whole statute, nor does it affect how that same provision applies to other people or circumstances.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Under § 15, a landlord cannot rely on a successful legal challenge to one part of the Emergency Housing Rent Control Law as grounds for disregarding the law's other requirements. Compliant operators continue to follow all remaining provisions of the act even if a specific section has been struck down or limited by a court ruling. Staying current with which provisions remain in effect—through official sources or qualified counsel—is a standard part of managing rent-regulated properties in New York.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Section 15 means that even if a landlord or another party successfully challenges one part of the Emergency Housing Rent Control Law, tenants' rights and protections under the remaining provisions of the act are not automatically eliminated. If a tenant believes their protections are being denied on the basis of a legal challenge to an unrelated part of the law, that concern can be raised with a local rent board, a tenant-rights organization, or through available legal channels. Understanding which provisions remain operative is an important part of knowing what § 15 preserves for tenants in any given situation.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated September 13, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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