What the law changed
The good cause eviction law, enacted in New York in 2024, applies in New York City and in other cities, towns, and villages that choose to opt in. For covered apartments, a landlord generally needs a reason the law recognizes, such as nonpayment of rent or a substantial lease violation, to evict a tenant or refuse to renew a lease. Rent increases above a threshold tied to local inflation, which the law itself caps, can be challenged as unreasonable unless the landlord justifies them, for example by showing rising costs. Landlords must also give tenants a notice explaining whether the law applies to the unit. The law does not set or freeze rents; it limits evictions that rest on increases the law treats as unreasonable.
Who is covered and who is not
Coverage depends on the building and the landlord rather than on the tenant alone. The law exempts several categories of landlords, buildings, and units, including some small landlords and apartments already regulated under other programs such as rent stabilization. Each exemption has detailed conditions, and landlords who rely on the small-landlord exemption are expected to disclose it. Localities outside New York City that opted in may have adjusted some of the terms. To check your status, gather your lease and renewals, any notice the landlord gave about the law, your rent history, and what you know about the building's age, size, and ownership.
Using the law in a case or a renewal
Good cause eviction usually comes up at two moments: when a landlord proposes a large increase or declines to renew, and when the landlord brings a case in court. A tenant may raise the law as a defense in a holdover or nonpayment case, and the court can decide whether the increase or the stated reason is permitted. Paying rent that is lawfully owed and responding to court papers remain important, because the law does not shield a tenant from eviction for genuine nonpayment. Free legal representation is available to many New York City tenants facing eviction, and checking eligibility is a sensible early step. For landlords, we review whether an exemption applies, whether the required notice was given, and how to document the reasons for an increase or a nonrenewal.
