My question involves a roommate in the State of: New York
It's a long story, but the short version is I let a buddy move into my house when he lost his job and was robbed at his old place in june of this year. I wasn't too specific on the arrangements because he was my buddy, and he needed help. About 3 months ago, he got a pretty nice job, and made no effort to repay me for my hospitality, so I had to take matters into my own hands. I told him if he wanted to continue staying in my house now that he had a good paying job, he needed to pay me some rent. Through a verbal agreement (again, still my buddy, so who needs contracts), we agreed on $250 a month due October 1st and every first of the month thereafter.
At this point I've demanded the rent several times from him only to be brushed off, he now owes me $500 from October and November, and refuses to agree that he agreed to pay me anything.
The question isn't about the rent, I know I have a snowballs chance in hell of seeing that $500, the question is do I need to go through any legal business to kick him out of the house or can I just change the locks and be done with it?
He's been here since June, does receive mail here, does not have any written agreement with me, refuses to acknowledge any verbal agreement, and does not have his name on any utilities, bills, really anything. I called the state police department and they said that in this case I can just kick him out, but I figure you folks probably know more about the law than either me or the state trooper I talked to, so please, help me out! I just don't want to end up going to jail for kicking a deadbeat ex-friend out of my house.
Thanks in advance for any advice![]()

