Brooklyn, New York – In April 2024, New York passed Good Cause Eviction Law, providing historic protections for hundreds of thousands of New York City tenants. When applicable, the law prohibits unwarranted rent hikes and evictions without ‘good cause,’ and requires landlords to offer lease renewals. Since its passage, seventeen municipalities across New York have opted into stronger versions of Good Cause that make it easier for tenants to be eligible. The statewide adoptions also mean that approximately one million renters across New York are now protected.

To learn more, visit hj4a.org/GoodCause. To learn if you’re eligible for Good Cause in New York City, visit goodcausenyc.org 

State Senator Julia Salazar, sponsor of the original Good Cause bill: “Thanks to Good Cause, hundreds of thousands of tenants in New York City are protected from debilitating rent hikes and unwarranted evictions. Hundreds of thousands of tenants outside of New York City are also protected, because 17 municipalities have adopted even stronger versions of this law. What’s clear is that not enough renters are aware of their relatively new rights, so we’re going to work on getting the word out. Overall, Good Cause is incredibly successful at ensuring hard working New Yorkers are able to stay in their homes.” 

Cea Weaver, Director of Housing Justice for All and the NYS Tenant Bloc: "Good Cause is the largest expansion of tenants’ rights New York has seen in fifty years. Tenants across the state fought tooth and nail for these protections because our homes were on the line. Despite the real estate industry spending millions to stop us, we won our right to stay, to fight unfair evictions, and to demand stability. But Good Cause is just the beginning. Tenants are half the state and a majority in every major city. We’re organized, united, and ready to keep fighting until every New Yorker has the housing we deserve."

"Good Cause is one of the most significant statewide tenant protections Albany has enacted in years," said Judith Goldiner, Attorney-in-Charge of the Civil Law Reform Unit at The Legal Aid Society. "The law has already shielded hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers from arbitrary rent hikes and warrantless evictions. The fact that 17 municipalities have codified their own version of Good Cause is concrete proof that New Yorkers are demanding real, lasting solutions to the housing crisis. Albany must continue to build on this success with other legislation that continues to combat housing instability, ensuring that tenants can remain safely in their homes and communities."

Denise Rebeil, Housing and Environmental Justice Leader Organizer for Make the Road New York: "The Good Cause Eviction law was fought for tirelessly by our community members and it has served as a safeguard against unreasonable rent hikes and inhumane living conditions. But, many people do not know they have the right to this law. We work hard to educate the community on the Good Cause law, but we need to continue circulating information on who is eligible and encourage the community to exercise this right. All people deserve to have affordable housing and this law works as a protection. Bringing awareness to the benefits of the Good Cause law will ensure it serves the community as intended and keeps people in their homes."

Ben Surface, Supervising Attorney of Hudson Valley Justice Center: “In places where it has been adopted, the Good Cause Eviction Law has begun to shift the balance of power in the housing market from one of exploitation towards greater equity and transparency. Landlords can no longer raise rents with impunity, but instead must show actual increased costs to support excessive rent increases. Rent-paying, lease-abiding tenants are no longer vulnerable to termination of their tenancies without cause. As a result, tenants are safer in their housing, less at risk of retaliation, and more likely to succeed in working with their landlord to find amicable resolutions to disputes. In an economic and political climate in which services and resources for low income folks are shrinking, GCE provides a backstop for the most vulnerable in our communities and ensures all tenants have the rights and protections they need to keep their families stable.”

Example Tenant Success Stories

New York City

• In the Bronx, a landlord did not offer their tenant a lease renewal, attempted to pressure the tenant to move into a basement apartment instead, and then ultimately filed to evict the tenant. The tenant successfully raised Good Cause Eviction as a defense in court, as the landlord did not have a “good cause” for eviction or non-renewal. 

Albany 

• At Danker Village Tenants Union, a 229-unit complex, tenants were receiving rent increases of $400-$600. When Good Cause Eviction passed, the tenants cited the law to management and received leases with the 8.45% rent increase allowed at the time, saving them thousands of dollars per year.  
• An elderly tenant of 25 years was able to raise Good Cause Eviction as a defense when the landlord proposed a 100% rent increase. The landlord agreed to a 10% increase, which was below the Fair Market Rent.  
• A tenant of 10 years received a $700 increase after a new owner purchased the building. The tenant notified the landlord that the most they could increase the rent was $95 since no repairs had been made and she was living in substandard conditions.  

Poughkeepsie

• A tenant was facing eviction for nonpayment after the landlord increased rent by $400. Tenant and their counsel successfully raised Good Cause to the landlord as a defense to the nonpayment, to negotiate a retroactive rent reduction, and to secure a two-year lease at a reduced rent.

Municipalities In New York That Adopted Good Cause 
City of Albany  
City of Rochester  
Village of Croton-on-Hudson 
City of Kingston  
City of Hudson  
Village of New Paltz 
City of Poughkeepsie  
Village of Catskill  
Town of Poughkeepsie 
City of Beacon  
Town of Fishkill  
City of White Plains 
City of Newburgh  
City of Binghamton  
City of Middletown 
City of Ithaca 
Village of Nyack