In April 2024, New York Governor Kathy Hochul announced just cause eviction (JCE) limitations as part of the FY 2025 Enacted Budget, marking a significant shift in landlord-tenant policy across the state. Previously, several local ordinances were overturned in court.
New York joins a minority of states and localities that have adopted these requirements across the country (now 10 states and 41 localities). This policy approach restricts evictions to defined rationale and eliminates housing providers’ right to nonrenewal, effectively allowing for leasing agreements in perpetuity.
New York’s new statewide law allows localities to opt in or pursue their own unique requirements regarding the definition of a ‘small landlord,’ which has reinforced the local trend to adopt these policies. The Hudson Valley Region has seen a surge in JCE activity. In this area alone, the National Apartment Association (NAA) has tracked new JCE laws in Albany, Beacon, Ithaca, Kingston, Newburgh, Nyack, and the City of Poughkeepsie, N.Y. In addition, there are currently active proposals in Hudson, Middletown, and New Paltz, N.Y.
California also has seen JCE action this year. A proposal in Antioch, Calif. would add JCE protections to the city’s tenant protections code, and has been ordered to a second reading. Both California and New York highlight the growing trend in pursuing this failed policy.
NAA continues to support its affiliate partners as they advance industry advocacy efforts at the state and local levels and serve as the voice of the rental housing industry nationwide.
To learn more about just cause eviction policy, contact Joe Riter, NAA’s Senior Manager of Public Policy at [email protected].