New York Good Cause Eviction Law: The Landlord Guide
Covered Units · Good-Cause Grounds · The Rent-Increase Cap · Exemptions · Required Notice
New York’s Good Cause Eviction Law, enacted in April 2024 as part of the state budget, is the biggest change to landlord-tenant rules for market-rate rentals in a generation. For covered units it does two things: it forces a landlord to have a legally defined good cause to evict a tenant or to refuse a lease renewal, and it makes a rent increase above a yearly threshold presumptively unreasonable and a defense a tenant can raise in court. This guide explains, in plain terms, which units are covered, the good-cause grounds, how the rent-increase cap works, the exemptions that take many small landlords out of the law entirely, and the disclosure notice you now have to give. The law is new and still being interpreted, so treat every specific number below as something to confirm against the current statute and your locality.
This page is about the Good Cause law specifically — not the general eviction procedure. If you need the court steps (petition, hearing, warrant of eviction), see the New York eviction process guide. For the broader rules on deposits, entry, and repairs, see New York landlord-tenant laws. Good Cause sits on top of those rules and changes whether and on what terms you can end a covered tenancy or raise its rent.
Below, a short overview video frames the law; the sections that follow break down coverage, grounds, the rent standard, exemptions, and compliance in detail. Because this is a recent and evolving statute, we flag throughout where the exact figures update and where you should confirm the current text before relying on it.
Good Cause Eviction at a Glance
Enacted
April 2024 — state budget
Where It Applies
NYC automatically; localities that opt in
Core Rule
Good cause needed to evict or not renew
Rent Piece
Above-standard increase presumed unreasonable
What the Good Cause Eviction Law Is
Good Cause Eviction is a tenant-protection law that changes the default rule for market-rate rentals. Before it, a New York landlord outside rent regulation could generally decline to renew a lease at its end for any reason or no reason, and could set a renewal rent at whatever the market would bear. For covered units, that is no longer true. The landlord now needs a recognized reason — a good cause — to evict or to refuse a renewal, and a proposed rent increase above a yearly benchmark is treated as presumptively unreasonable.
It was enacted in April 2024 as part of the state budget and took effect immediately in New York City. Outside the city, it is a local option: a city, town, or village must vote to opt in before the law applies there. That structure means coverage is a moving target. A growing list of upstate and Hudson Valley localities have adopted it, some with their own adjusted thresholds, while much of the state has not. Do not assume a unit is covered or exempt from its address alone — confirm the locality’s status, because it is still changing.
This Law Is New and Still Evolving
Good Cause Eviction is barely two years old. Courts are still interpreting it, state guidance is still being issued, and localities continue to opt in and adjust their own thresholds. Every specific number in this guide — the rent-standard percentage, the unit counts, the high-rent multiple, the construction cutoff year — can change and varies by locality. Treat this page as an orientation, confirm the current statutory text and any local ordinance, and have a New York landlord-tenant attorney review your situation before you rely on any figure here.
Takeaway
Good Cause Eviction flips the default for covered market-rate units: you now need a recognized legal reason to evict or refuse renewal, and above-benchmark rent increases can be challenged. It is automatic in New York City and opt-in elsewhere — and because it is new, every threshold is subject to change.
Which Units Are Covered
Coverage is the threshold question, and it is unit-by-unit, not building-by-building. In broad terms, a unit is covered when it is a market-rate residential rental, occupied by the tenant as a primary residence, located in a place where the law applies (New York City or an opt-in locality), and not carved out by one of the exemptions in the next section. If all of those are true, the good-cause and rent-standard rules apply to that tenancy.
Housing that already has its own protections is handled separately and is generally outside Good Cause: rent-stabilized and rent-controlled apartments, public housing, and units subsidized under programs that already limit rent and require cause to evict. The law is aimed at the unregulated market-rate stock that previously had no such protections. If a unit is already rent-stabilized, the tenant is already protected and the Good Cause overlay is generally unnecessary and does not apply.
Because coverage turns on several moving factors — the locality’s opt-in status, the size of the landlord’s portfolio, the age of the building, and the rent level — the safest practice is to evaluate each unit against the exemption list before assuming the law binds you. Getting this wrong in either direction is costly: treating a covered unit as exempt can void a non-renewal, and treating an exempt unit as covered can lead you to give up rights you actually retain.
Takeaway
A unit is generally covered when it is a market-rate primary residence in a locality where the law applies and no exemption fits. Already-regulated and subsidized housing sits outside Good Cause. Always test each unit against the exemptions before deciding it is covered.
The Good-Cause Grounds to Evict or Refuse Renewal
For a covered unit, an eviction or a refusal to renew must rest on one of the good-cause grounds the statute lists. A refusal to renew is treated much like an eviction: you cannot simply let the lease lapse and demand the unit back — you need a recognized ground. The grounds below reflect the statute as enacted; confirm the exact list and its conditions in the current text, because the details are still being litigated.
| Good-Cause Ground | What It Covers | Landlord Note |
|---|---|---|
| Nonpayment of rent | Rent lawfully due and owing is unpaid | Fails if the arrears stem from an increase the court finds unreasonable |
| Substantial lease violation | Breach of a significant obligation of the tenancy | Generally requires a written notice giving the tenant a chance to cure first |
| Nuisance | Causing or permitting a serious nuisance | Document the conduct and any warnings |
| Illegal use | Using the unit for an illegal purpose | Keep evidence; this is a serious ground |
| Denial of access | Unreasonably refusing lawful landlord access | For repairs, improvements, or showing the unit |
| Owner or family occupancy | Owner or a close relative wants it as a primary residence | Conditions apply; good-faith intent matters |
| Demolition or market withdrawal | Demolishing or removing the unit from the rental market | Typically needs proper approvals |
| Refusal of reasonable lease terms | Tenant will not agree to reasonable renewal changes | Includes a reasonable, standard-compliant rent increase |
Nonpayment Is Tied to the Rent Standard
The nonpayment ground has a catch that is unique to this law: it can fail if the unpaid rent, in whole or in part, resulted from an increase the court considers unreasonable under the rent-standard rules described below. In practice this means you cannot impose an above-standard increase, wait for the tenant to fall short, and then evict for the shortfall — the tenant can defend on the ground that the increase itself was unreasonable. Keep renewal increases within, or defensibly close to, the local rent standard if you want a clean nonpayment case.
The Cure Requirement for Lease Violations
Where the ground is a substantial violation of the tenancy, the law generally requires you to serve a written notice giving the tenant an opportunity to cure the breach before you proceed. Skipping that step, or setting too short a window, can sink the case. Treat the cure notice as a mandatory first move on any lease-violation ground and keep proof of how and when you served it.
Good Cause Layers on Top of the Normal Court Process
Good Cause changes whether you have a valid reason to remove a covered tenant; it does not replace the ordinary New York eviction procedure. You still file the appropriate proceeding, appear before the court, and, if you prevail, obtain a warrant of eviction that only a marshal or sheriff may execute. Self-help — changing locks, removing belongings, or shutting off utilities — remains illegal. For the step-by-step court process, see the New York eviction process guide.
Takeaway
For a covered unit, both an eviction and a refusal to renew need one of the statutory good-cause grounds. Nonpayment cases can fail if the arrears came from an unreasonable increase, and lease-violation cases generally require a written chance to cure first. Match the ground to the facts and document everything.
The Rent-Increase Cap: How the Local Rent Standard Works
The rent piece of Good Cause is often misunderstood, so be precise about it. The law does not hard-cap rent the way rent stabilization does, and it does not forbid a large increase outright. What it does is create a benchmark — the local rent standard — above which an increase is presumed unreasonable. If you raise rent above that benchmark and the tenant falls behind, the tenant can raise the unreasonableness of the increase as a defense to a nonpayment eviction, and you may have to justify the increase to the court.
The local rent standard is generally set each year as the lesser of two numbers: the annual change in the regional Consumer Price Index plus five percentage points, or ten percent. Whichever is smaller becomes the benchmark for that year. Because it is pinned to inflation, the exact figure changes annually and can differ by region within the state. State housing authorities publish the current number; always use the published figure for the current year and region rather than any example.
Confirm the Current Local Rent Standard Every Year
The benchmark percentage is not fixed — it moves with inflation and is republished annually, and it can vary by region. Any percentage you may have seen quoted was for a specific year and place and may already be out of date. Before setting a renewal rent on a covered unit, look up the current published local rent standard for that region and year, and keep a record of the figure you relied on.
You Can Still Raise Rent Above the Standard — With Justification
An above-standard increase is not automatically void. The law makes it presumptively unreasonable, which means the burden shifts to you to justify it if the tenant contests it in an eviction defense. Legitimate justifications can include documented increases in your costs — property taxes, insurance, fuel, or the cost of significant repairs and improvements to the unit or building. If you intend to exceed the standard, build and keep the paper trail that supports the number, because you may have to defend it.
Related: Raising Rent the Legal Way
The Good Cause rent standard is one layer; the mechanics of a lawful increase — proper written notice, timing, and how much advance warning a tenant is owed — are covered in our guide on how to raise rent legally. On a covered unit, follow both: give the correct notice and keep the increase within, or defensibly above, the local rent standard.
Takeaway
Good Cause does not ban big increases — it makes an increase above the local rent standard (roughly inflation plus five points, capped at ten percent) presumptively unreasonable and something you must justify if contested. The figure changes yearly and by region, so confirm the current published number before every renewal.
Key Exemptions: Units the Law Does Not Cover
Many landlords — especially smaller ones — are wholly or partly exempt. The exemptions are the most consequential part of the law for a small owner, because if one applies, the good-cause and rent-standard rules simply do not bind that unit. The categories below reflect the state framework as enacted; note that opt-in localities can and do change some of these thresholds, so verify the numbers for the specific place.
| Exemption Category | General Rule (Verify Locally) |
|---|---|
| Small landlord | Owners whose total portfolio is at or below a set number of units statewide are exempt. The state default is a modest unit count, but some opt-in localities set it far lower — even a single unit — so the local number controls. |
| Owner-occupied buildings | Buildings the owner lives in with at or below a set number of units are exempt. The unit threshold can be lower in some localities. |
| New construction | Units first placed in service after a cutoff year are exempt for a period of years to encourage new building. |
| High-rent units | Units renting above a high-rent threshold — set as a multiple of the local fair market rent published for the county — are exempt as luxury units. The multiple and the underlying fair market rent both update. |
| Co-ops and condominiums | Cooperative and condominium units are generally exempt. |
| Already-regulated or subsidized | Rent-stabilized, rent-controlled, public, and subsidized housing are outside Good Cause because they already require cause and limit rent. |
| Other categories | Manufactured or mobile homes and units tied to an employment, seasonal, or similar arrangement are commonly exempt. |
The Small-Landlord Exemption Is the Big One — and It Varies
For most independent owners, the small-landlord exemption is the exemption that matters. Under the state default, an owner whose entire holdings fall at or below a set unit count is exempt across their portfolio. But this is exactly the threshold opt-in localities most often change: some have set the bar dramatically lower so that owning even a small number of units brings you under the law. Never rely on the statewide default in an opt-in locality — look up that municipality’s own definition, because it may be far stricter.
High-Rent and New-Construction Exemptions
Two other exemptions catch a lot of units. The high-rent exemption removes units renting above a threshold tied to a multiple of the county’s published fair market rent — a figure that moves as fair market rents are updated, so a unit near the line can drift in or out of coverage year to year. The new-construction exemption removes recently built units for a set number of years after they enter service, on the theory that the law should not chill new supply. Both thresholds are numbers you must check against the current publications rather than memorize.
Document the Basis for Any Exemption You Claim
If you treat a unit as exempt, be ready to prove it. Keep records of your total portfolio size, the building’s placed-in-service date, the current rent versus the applicable high-rent threshold, and any owner-occupancy. The required disclosure notice (next section) makes you state the reason a unit is exempt, so your basis needs to be accurate and documented before you make that representation to a tenant.
Takeaway
The exemptions — especially the small-landlord, new-construction, and high-rent carve-outs — take many units out of the law entirely. But the thresholds vary by locality and update over time, so confirm the current numbers and keep documentation supporting any exemption you claim.
The Required Good-Cause Notice
The law also imposes a disclosure obligation. Landlords must give covered tenants a written good-cause notice, commonly delivered as a lease rider, that tells the tenant whether the unit is covered by the law and, if it is exempt, states the reason for the exemption. This notice is generally required with new and renewal leases and with certain non-renewal or rent-increase notices. Using the current official notice language matters, because a missing or defective disclosure can weaken a later case.
Determine coverage first
Test the unit against the locality’s opt-in status and every exemption — portfolio size, owner occupancy, construction date, and rent level — before doing anything else.
Serve the good-cause notice
Provide the written good-cause disclosure or rider with new and renewal leases, stating whether the unit is covered or, if exempt, why. Use the current official language and keep proof of delivery.
Keep renewal increases within the standard
Confirm the current local rent standard for the region and year, and set renewal rents within it — or document a cost-based justification if you must exceed it.
Use a good-cause ground for any removal
Base any eviction or non-renewal on a listed ground, serve any required cure notice, and keep evidence supporting the ground before filing.
Confirm the current rules before acting
Because the law is new, verify the present statutory text, your locality’s ordinance, and the current thresholds — ideally with a New York landlord-tenant attorney — before relying on any step.
Takeaway
On a covered unit you must give a written good-cause disclosure or rider that states whether the unit is covered or why it is exempt. Combine that with a within-standard renewal rent and a valid ground for any removal, and confirm the current rules before you act.
Good Cause vs. Rent Stabilization
Landlords often conflate Good Cause with rent stabilization, but they are different regimes that can even apply to different units in the same market. Understanding the contrast keeps you from applying the wrong rulebook.
✓ Good Cause Eviction
- Newer — enacted in 2024.
- Applies to market-rate units in covered localities that are not exempt.
- Requires a good-cause ground to evict or refuse renewal.
- Caps increases only by a presumption: above the local rent standard is presumed unreasonable.
- No unit registration or board-set rent number.
✕ Rent Stabilization
- Older, comprehensive regulatory regime.
- Applies mainly to specific older regulated buildings.
- Grants a right to renew and to a stabilized rent.
- Increases fixed by a Rent Guidelines Board each year.
- Registration and formal rent-history obligations.
The practical point: a unit that is already rent-stabilized is generally exempt from Good Cause because it is already protected. Good Cause exists to bring a lighter form of protection to the market-rate units that rent stabilization never touched. If you are unsure which regime governs a unit, resolve that first — the notices, allowable increases, and grounds differ between them.
Practical Steps for New York Landlords
Good Cause rewards owners who treat compliance as a routine, not a scramble at renewal time. A few habits keep you on the right side of the law and out of avoidable disputes.
- Audit each unit’s status. For every tenancy, record whether the unit is covered or exempt and the basis for that conclusion — portfolio count, building age, rent versus the high-rent line, owner occupancy, and the locality’s opt-in status.
- Standardize the good-cause notice. Add the current good-cause disclosure or rider to your lease and renewal packets so it is never forgotten, and keep proof of delivery.
- Calendar the rent standard. Each year, note the current published local rent standard for your region before you send renewal offers, and keep the figure on file.
- Document cost-based increases. If you will exceed the standard, assemble the tax, insurance, fuel, and repair records that justify the number before you propose it.
- Serve cure notices on violations. For any lease-violation ground, give the written chance to cure first and keep the proof.
- Get local counsel on close calls. Because the law is new and localities differ, a short review with a New York landlord-tenant attorney is cheap insurance on any eviction, non-renewal, or above-standard increase.
For the wider set of New York obligations that sit alongside Good Cause — security deposits, entry, habitability, and notice periods — see New York landlord-tenant laws, and review what a landlord may never do in what landlords cannot do.
Why Screening Matters More Under Good Cause
Good Cause makes a covered tenancy harder to end and effectively long-term: you cannot simply decline to renew, and your rent increases are benchmarked. That changes the economics of the leasing decision. The tenant you approve at move-in is, in practice, the tenant you are likely to keep for years, so getting the selection right up front matters more than it ever did.
A comprehensive tenant screening report — credit, income verification, rental history, and eviction records, reviewed consistently and in compliance with the Fair Credit Reporting Act and New York and federal Fair Housing rules — helps you place a reliable resident from the start. For the New York-specific rules on what you may and may not consider when screening applicants, see New York tenant screening laws. Under a law that makes tenancies stickier, careful screening is not just prudent — it is the main lever you still fully control.
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Frequently Asked Questions
What is New York’s Good Cause Eviction Law?
It is a state law enacted in April 2024 that, for covered market-rate units, requires a landlord to have a legally defined good cause to evict a tenant or to refuse to renew a lease. It also creates a rent-increase threshold: an increase above the local rent standard can be challenged as unreasonable and used as a defense in an eviction for nonpayment. The law applies automatically in New York City and in any other city, town, or village that votes to opt in. It is new and still evolving, so confirm the current text and whether your locality has adopted it.
Which units are covered by Good Cause Eviction?
In general, it covers market-rate residential rentals in New York City and in localities that opt in, where the tenant lives in the unit as a primary residence and the unit is not otherwise exempt. Rent-stabilized, rent-controlled, public, and subsidized housing already have their own protections and are treated separately. Because coverage turns on unit type, building size, rent level, and locality, check each unit individually and verify the current rules.
What counts as good cause to evict under the law?
The statute lists specific grounds, generally including nonpayment of lawfully owed rent, a violation of a substantial obligation of the tenancy, nuisance, using the unit for an illegal purpose, unreasonably refusing the landlord access, the landlord or a close relative wanting the unit as a primary residence, demolition or withdrawal of the unit from the rental market, and a tenant’s refusal to agree to reasonable lease changes including a reasonable rent increase. A ground tied to unpaid rent can fail if the arrears came from an increase the court finds unreasonable. Confirm the exact grounds in the current statute.
How much can a landlord raise the rent under Good Cause?
An increase above the local rent standard is presumed unreasonable and can be raised by the tenant as a defense to a nonpayment eviction. The local rent standard is generally set as the lesser of the annual change in the regional Consumer Price Index plus five percent, or ten percent. You are not banned from raising rent above that figure, but you may have to justify the increase in court. The exact percentage changes every year and by region, so confirm the current published local rent standard before setting a renewal rent.
What units are exempt from Good Cause Eviction?
Common exemptions include units owned by a small landlord (a portfolio at or below a set number of units statewide), owner-occupied buildings at or below a set unit count, newer construction placed in service after a cutoff year for a period of years, units renting above a high-rent threshold tied to a multiple of the local fair market rent, cooperatives and condominiums, units already covered by rent regulation or a subsidy program, manufactured homes, and units tied to an employment or seasonal arrangement. Several thresholds can be changed by a locality that opts in, so verify the numbers that apply where the unit sits.
Does Good Cause Eviction apply everywhere in New York?
No. It applies automatically in New York City. Outside the city, it applies only in a city, town, or village whose local government has voted to opt in, and a growing list of upstate and Hudson Valley localities have done so. Some opt-in localities have also adjusted the small-landlord or exemption thresholds. Always confirm whether the specific municipality has opted in and on what terms.
How is Good Cause Eviction different from rent stabilization?
Rent stabilization is an older, comprehensive regime that fixes allowable increases through a Rent Guidelines Board and grants a right to renew, applying mainly to specific older regulated buildings. Good Cause Eviction is newer and lighter: it does not register units or cap rent to a board-set number, but it requires a good-cause reason to evict or refuse renewal and makes an above-standard increase presumptively unreasonable. A unit already rent-stabilized is generally exempt from Good Cause because it is already protected.
Do landlords have to give a notice about Good Cause Eviction?
Yes. The law requires landlords to give covered tenants a written good-cause notice or lease rider, generally with new and renewal leases and with certain non-renewal or rent-increase notices, stating whether the unit is covered or exempt and, if exempt, why. Missing or defective notice can undermine a later case. Use the current official notice language and confirm the timing rules, which are still being clarified.
Can I still refuse to renew a lease under Good Cause Eviction?
For a covered unit, you generally cannot simply decline to renew without a good-cause reason from the statute’s list. A refusal to renew is treated much like an eviction: it needs a recognized ground, such as the owner or a close relative taking the unit as a primary residence, demolition, or the tenant’s refusal of reasonable lease terms. For an exempt unit, ordinary non-renewal rules apply. Confirm the unit’s status first.
How does screening help under Good Cause Eviction?
Because covered tenancies are harder to end and are effectively long-term, the tenant you approve at move-in is the tenant you are likely to keep. Thorough, consistent, and lawful screening — credit, income, rental history, and eviction records reviewed under the Fair Credit Reporting Act and Fair Housing rules — helps you place a reliable resident up front, which matters more when the law limits your ability to part ways later.
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