Can you collect unemployment if you have rental income from NYS Department of Labor?

Rental income generally doesn't disqualify you from unemployment benefits in New York. The NYS Department of Labor considers rental income as passive income, not wages from employment. You'll need to report it on your weekly claim certification, but it shouldn't affect your eligibility as long as you're not actively working in property management as your main job.

yeah my cousin had rental income when she was on unemployment last year and it was fine. she just had to put it on her weekly forms but didnt lose any benefits

The key thing is how you report it. When you file your weekly claim with NYS Department of Labor, there's a section for other income. You'll report the rental income there, but since it's not from employment, it won't reduce your weekly benefit amount. Just make sure you're completely honest about it - they can verify this stuff during adjudication if needed.

I had a similar situation but got so frustrated trying to reach someone at NYS Department of Labor to clarify this. Kept getting disconnected after waiting on hold forever. Finally used this service called Claimyr (claimyr.com) that actually got me through to a real agent who explained everything. They have a demo video at https://youtu.be/qyftW-mnTNI showing how it works. Way easier than spending hours trying to get through yourself.

THE WHOLE SYSTEM IS RIDICULOUS! They make it so confusing on purpose. I had investment income and they made me wait THREE WEEKS in adjudication just to tell me it was fine. Meanwhile I'm behind on bills because they can't give straight answers about their own rules!

Just be super careful with the reporting. I know someone who got an overpayment notice because they didn't report rental income correctly and NYS Department of Labor found out later through tax records. Better to over-communicate than under-report.

I went through this exact situation last year! Had rental income from a small apartment I own while collecting unemployment. The NYS Department of Labor rep I spoke with explained that rental income is considered "passive income" and won't affect your weekly benefit amount. You'll report it in the "other income" section of your weekly certification, but it doesn't count against you like wages would. Just make sure you keep good records of your rental income and expenses in case they ever need documentation. The key is being upfront about it from the beginning - they're pretty reasonable about passive income sources.

I'm in a very similar situation and this thread has been incredibly helpful! I was laid off from my job three weeks ago and have been putting off filing for unemployment because I wasn't sure how my rental income would be treated. I have a small investment property that generates about $1,400/month. Based on what everyone is saying here, it sounds like I should go ahead and apply and just be upfront about the rental income when I do my weekly certifications. The distinction between earned vs passive income makes a lot of sense. Has anyone here had experience with NYS Department of Labor asking for additional documentation about rental properties during the claims process, or do they typically just take your reported amounts at face value?

I'm dealing with this exact situation right now! I own a small rental property that brings in about $2,000/month and just got laid off from my finance job last week. Reading through all these responses has been so reassuring - I was really stressed thinking the rental income would completely disqualify me. It sounds like the key points are: 1) Rental income is passive/unearned income so it won't reduce benefits, 2) Be completely transparent and report it on weekly certifications, and 3) Keep good documentation just in case. I'm definitely going to file my claim this week now that I understand how it works. Thanks everyone for sharing your experiences - this community is so helpful for navigating the NYS Department of Labor system!

This is such great information everyone! I'm actually a landlord myself with three rental properties and was recently laid off from my corporate job. I was terrified that owning rental properties would somehow disqualify me from unemployment benefits. Reading all these experiences has been incredibly reassuring - especially hearing from people who actually went through the process successfully. It sounds like the NYS Department of Labor really does treat rental income as passive income, which makes total sense since being a landlord isn't the same as being employed by someone else. I'm going to file my claim next week and make sure to be completely upfront about all my rental income from day one. Better to over-disclose than have issues later! Has anyone here dealt with multiple rental properties, or is most experience with just one property?

I just went through this exact process a few months ago! I own a small rental property that brings in $1,600/month and was laid off from my job in September. I was really nervous about how the rental income would be handled, but it ended up being much simpler than I expected. The NYS Department of Labor treats rental income as passive income, so it doesn't count against your weekly benefit amount at all. When I do my weekly certifications, I just report the rental income in the "other income" section, but it doesn't reduce my benefits. The key is being completely honest about it from the start - I mentioned it in my initial application and have been reporting it consistently every week. No issues whatsoever! One tip: I keep a simple spreadsheet tracking all my rental income and expenses just in case they ever need documentation, but so far they haven't asked for anything beyond what I report on the weekly forms.

I'm in a similar situation and this whole thread has been incredibly reassuring! I got laid off from my office job two weeks ago and have been hesitating to file for unemployment because I rent out a room in my house for $800/month. I was so worried they'd consider me "employed" as a landlord or something. Reading everyone's experiences with rental income being treated as passive income has really put my mind at ease. It sounds like the key is just being transparent about it from day one and reporting it properly on the weekly certifications. I'm definitely going to file my claim this week now. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this community is so helpful for navigating all the confusing NYS Department of Labor rules!

I'm dealing with this exact situation right now! I have a small rental property that generates about $1,500/month and just got laid off from my marketing position last week. Reading through all these experiences has been incredibly helpful - I was really stressed thinking the rental income would completely disqualify me from benefits. It's so reassuring to hear from multiple people who've successfully collected unemployment while having rental income. The distinction between passive income and earned income makes total sense when you think about it. I'm definitely going to file my claim this week and be completely upfront about the rental property from the start. Thanks to everyone who shared their experiences - this thread has been a lifesaver for understanding how the NYS Department of Labor handles these situations!

I'm in a very similar situation and this discussion has been incredibly helpful! I was laid off from my job at a nonprofit two weeks ago and have been putting off filing for unemployment because I have a small rental unit that brings in $1,200/month. I was so worried they'd consider it "work" or that it would disqualify me completely. Reading everyone's experiences about rental income being treated as passive income has really eased my anxiety. It makes perfect sense that there's a distinction between earned income from employment and passive rental income. I'm planning to file my claim tomorrow and will definitely be upfront about the rental income from the start. Thanks to everyone who shared their real experiences - it's so much more helpful than trying to decipher the confusing official language on the NYS Department of Labor website!