Housing in Brief: Local Good Cause Shut Down In New York State

On March 2, New York State’s highest court shut down a Good Cause law enacted in 2021 in the city of Albany on the basis that it runs afoul of the state’s Real Property Law. The only element of the law that remains intact, per the judge’s ruling, is a provision that requires landlords to properly register their apartments before they can carry out an eviction.

On March 8, a judge in Poughkeepsie shut down that city’s Good Cause law on similar grounds, according to City Limits. Another Good Cause law in Newburgh was shut down in December. The court orders will lead to more pressure on Governor Hochul and the state legislature to pass a statewide Good Cause law. In a statement, Brahvan Ranga, political director of the advocacy group For The Many said, “Let’s be clear: These lawsuits have nothing to do with Good Cause’s merits. No judge has ruled that barring evictions and large rent hikes without a good cause is illegal. They have only ruled that the state legislature, not cities, must pass Good Cause.” Hochul, meanwhile, has been hesitant to endorse Good Cause.