Good Cause Eviction Law

It has been two years since New York's Good Cause Eviction Law took effect, and Housing Court is now producing a growing body of decisions that are reshaping how landlords must approach evictions, lease non-renewals, and rent increases. For property owners in New York City, understanding how courts are applying this law is no longer optional. It is essential to protecting your position in any Housing Court proceeding.

The Basics

Good Cause Eviction is enforced through the courts. The law applies to eviction cases started on or after April 20, 2024, meaning cases where the landlord first filed documents in court to begin the case on or after this date.

Under the law, a landlord can only evict or decline to renew a lease for specifically defined reasons: non-payment of rent unless the non-payment resulted from an unreasonable rent increase, violation of a substantial lease obligation after written notice to cure, nuisance behavior that endangers safety or causes substantial damage, illegal use of the apartment following a government vacate order, the landlord's personal use of the unit for themselves or an immediate family member as a primary residence, or demolition or permanent withdrawal of the unit from the rental market.

Who Is Exempt

Not every building or tenancy is covered. Tenants in rent-regulated apartments already have strong renewal rights and are not covered under Good Cause. In NYC, a small landlord who owns 10 or fewer residential units total in New York State is also exempt. Buildings of 10 units or fewer where the owner lives in the building are similarly excluded. Landlords should carefully evaluate whether their properties fall within the law's coverage before assuming they are, or are not, bound by its requirements.

What the Courts Are Finding

Courts have made clear that procedural precision is non-negotiable under this law. Eviction petitions and notices of non-renewal must contain specific factual allegations, including dates, amounts, and detailed descriptions of tenant conduct where applicable. Petitions that rely on conclusory language, such as a bare assertion of nonpayment or breach without supporting detail, have been dismissed before reaching the merits. Landlords cannot rely on the same boilerplate pleading practices that may have worked in Housing Court prior to April 2024.

Courts have also clarified that the law's applicability is determined by when the court proceeding was commenced and not when preliminary notices were served. A termination notice served before the law's effective date does not exempt a landlord from Good Cause requirements if the petition itself was filed after April 20, 2024.

The Rent Increase Standard

A rent increase is presumed to be unreasonable if it exceeds 8.79%, or 10% for high-investment buildings. If a tenant cannot pay due to such an increase, the landlord does not have good cause to evict for non-payment. The specific percentage is tied to the Consumer Price Index and may be updated annually.

Notice Requirements

Landlords must provide tenants with a notice at the time of their first lease, at lease renewal, or before taking a tenant to court. That notice must state whether the unit is covered by the law and explain any exemption, any claimed basis for a rent increase larger than permitted, and any claimed reason for not renewing the lease. Defective or missing notices have resulted in dismissed petitions and are among the most common procedural errors landlords encounter under this law.

What This Means for Landlords

The practical takeaway is straightforward. Documentation and procedural precision matter more than ever. Landlords who file without specific factual allegations, serve defective notices, or fail to provide required Good Cause disclosures are finding their cases dismissed before reaching the merits. Getting the paperwork right from the start is no longer a formality. It is the foundation of any successful Housing Court proceeding.