Collecting from estate

[Leonard Rosenberg]

I have a tenant in my rooming house who did not have a lease and died in the unit.  He had no family, no will, but had a bank account.  In the absence of orders from the court or surrogate I waited a few months before beginning eviction proceedings to recover possession.  Subsequently I filed a notice of claim in the Surrogate's office and an Administrator was appointed.  The Administrator is challenging my right to rent monies after the tenant died.  What are my rights?  I feel I'm entitled to rent from the time of the tenant's last payment while he was living there until lock-out, plus costs of cleaning up his unit.