What it means for you
Since April 2024, covered tenants in New York City, and in places that opt in, can be evicted only for reasons the law lists, and rent hikes above inflation plus 5% (never more than 10%) are presumed unreasonable.
Who benefits: Tenants in covered unregulated homes in New York City and municipalities that opt in; exemptions include homes owned by small landlords, newer buildings, condos and co-ops, and high-rent units.
If you rent a covered market-rate apartment in New York City, your landlord needs a listed good-cause reason to evict you or refuse to renew your lease. Reasons include nonpayment, a serious lease violation, a nuisance, denied access, or the owner moving in. An increase above inflation plus 5%, capped at a 10% benchmark, is presumed unreasonable; a judge can still accept a higher increase after considering the landlord’s costs. You do not apply beforehand. If your landlord seeks eviction, you can raise the law in Housing Court, including as a defense to nonpayment of an increase the court finds unreasonable.
The law automatically covers unregulated rentals in New York City. Cities, towns, and villages elsewhere can opt in by local law. Exemptions include homes owned by landlords with 10 or fewer units statewide, owner-occupied buildings with no more than 10 apartments, regulated or subsidized housing, condos and co-ops, high-rent units, and buildings issued a certificate of occupancy on or after January 1, 2009, which are exempt for 30 years. It applies to cases filed on or after April 20, 2024.
Sen. Julia Salazar and Assemblymember Pamela Hunter sponsored broader stand-alone good-cause bills beginning in 2019, with support from tenant groups. Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie, and Gov. Kathy Hochul negotiated the final housing package. The narrower version became law when Hochul signed the budget on April 20, 2024. The carrying bill passed the Senate 36–24.
HousingLower costs
Sources
- Good Cause EvictionNYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development
- Good Cause EvictionNew York State Homes and Community Renewal
- S8306C (2024), education, labor, housing and family assistance budget billNew York State Senate
- S305 (2023), prohibition of eviction without good causeNew York State Senate
- NY's housing deal is here. What does it mean for tenant stability?City Limits, April 20, 2024
- New York lawmakers pass $237 billion budget with policies to jump-start housing marketAssociated Press, April 20, 2024
How we checked this
Drafted by Claude Opus 5.5 (Anthropic) on November 11, 2026. Checked against its sources by GPT-5.6-sol (OpenAI) on November 11, 2026, which corrected it. Confirmed the law remains in effect, the enactment date, formula, sponsor history, and 36–24 Senate vote. Clarified the exemptions and rebuttable rent benchmark, corrected the bill-history note, and credited the leaders who negotiated the enacted package.
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