Good Cause Eviction in NYC: What Protects You When the Rent Jumps

Good Cause Eviction, in effect in NYC since April 20, 2024, protects many market-rate renters (not just stabilized ones). It caps most rent increases at the lower of 10% or CPI plus 5% (about 8.79% under the current local standard), and it requires the landlord to have a good reason to refuse a renewal. The big exception: landlords who own 10 or fewer units statewide are exempt.

Most renters think protections in NYC exist only for rent-stabilized units. Good Cause quietly changed that for a large share of market-rate leases. Here is what it does, who is covered, and the disclosure your landlord owes you in writing.

What does Good Cause Eviction actually do?

Two things:

• It limits rent increases. An increase above the local standard (the lower of 10% or CPI plus 5%, currently about 8.79% in NYC) is presumed unreasonable. The landlord can try to justify more, but the burden is on them.
• It requires a reason to non-renew. Covered landlords cannot simply decline to renew your lease. They need a good cause: nonpayment, lease violations, taking the unit for their own family, removing it from the market, and similar grounds.

This is not rent stabilization. It is a softer shield, but it covers people who had nothing before.

What to do: If your renewal shows a jump over ~8.79%, do not treat it as automatic. Coverage is the first question.

Who is covered, and who is exempt?

Covered by default: market-rate tenants in NYC. Then come the exemptions, and the one that matters most is size:

• Small landlord exemption: an owner with 10 or fewer units statewide is exempt.
• Other exemptions include high-rent luxury units, owner-occupied buildings with few units, and units already regulated by another program (stabilization has its own stronger rules).

A renter on Reddit reported an 18% increase and asked how that was possible. The answer: his landlord fit an exemption. Coverage depends on the owner's portfolio, not on your building alone.

What to do: Do not guess. The law gives you the right to make the landlord prove the exemption (next section).

The disclosure your landlord owes you (most renters never check)

Under RPL section 231-c, every lease and renewal must include a written notice stating whether Good Cause applies. If the landlord claims an exemption, the notice must state the specific basis. If they raise rent above the local standard, they must state the justification.

And here is the lever: if the landlord claims the small-landlord exemption, you can demand, in writing, a list of the other buildings they own with addresses. If the owner is an LLC, they must disclose the people behind it and how many units each holds.

What to do: Read your lease for the 231-c notice. Missing, vague, or "exempt" with no basis? Request the disclosure in writing. Landlords who actually qualify can answer easily. Landlords bluffing tend to get flexible.

What about the 90-day notice rule?

Separate law, same fight: if you have lived in the unit 2 years or more, the landlord must give 90 days' written notice before a rent increase of 5% or more, or before declining to renew. Shorter tenancies get 30 or 60 days depending on length.

What to do: Count the days between the notice and the lease end. Short notice does not make the increase illegal by itself, but it delays when it can take effect, which is negotiating room.

My building was just sold. What now?

Sales trigger fear, and fear triggers bad decisions. The truthful picture: the new owner inherits your lease as written. What changes at renewal depends on the new owner's portfolio size (Good Cause coverage) and whether the unit is stabilized. A new owner with hundreds of units statewide may have MORE Good Cause exposure than the small landlord who sold.

What to do: At the first renewal after a sale, run the checklist: stabilized or not (rent history from HCR), 231-c notice present, increase within the standard, notice period respected.

Common questions

Is Good Cause Eviction the same as rent stabilization?

No. Stabilization is stronger: board-set increases (0% for the 2026 to 2027 cycle), a guaranteed renewal, and registration with the state. Good Cause is a cap-plus-reason shield for many market-rate tenants who have no stabilization.

What is the maximum rent increase under Good Cause right now?

The presumption line is the lower of 10% or CPI plus 5%. Under the current local standard that works out to about 8.79%. A landlord can attempt to justify more, but they carry the burden.

My landlord says he's exempt. Do I have to take his word?

No. The exemption basis must be stated in your lease notice under RPL 231-c, and you can demand written proof of the portfolio, including LLC ownership details and unit counts.

Does Good Cause apply outside NYC?

The state law lets other municipalities opt in, and several have. This guide covers NYC, where it has applied since April 20, 2024.

Sources: NY Attorney General, Good Cause Eviction · NY Senate, RPL 231-c · NY HCR

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