Boyd H. Wood Co. v. Horgan

The provisions of section 230 of the Beal Property Law (L. 1934, ch. 576) were designed to afford to tenants a measure of protection against automatic renewal clauses in leases of real property. Our problem is to determine whether a clause in a written lease, by which a tenant waives in advance the benefits of that statute, is void as opposed to the public policy of this State.

That question arises in an action for rent brought by the respondent, a landlord, against the appellant, a tenant, who leased an apartment for a term of one year commencing October 1, 1937. The tenant remained in…