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Housing For the Many

Good Cause Eviction Protections

Is your landlord trying to evict you without a reason or raise your rent more than 5%?

If you live in Poughkeepsie, Kingston, Newburgh, or Beacon, you are likely protected by Good Cause Eviction legislation. This guide will help you learn your rights as a tenant and how you can access legal support if you are facing eviction. 

WHAT IS GOOD CAUSE EVICTION?

Good Cause Eviction protects tenants from unjust evictions – meaning your landlord must prove to a judge that the eviction is for a “good cause”. Failure to pay rent, violating terms of the lease, causing a nuisance, and breaking the law are all considered “good cause” grounds to evict. 

Good Cause Eviction also gives tenants the right to renewal of their lease. This means that your landlord must renew your lease if you want to stay in your unit, unless they can prove they have “good cause” to evict you. 

Good Cause Eviction also protects tenants from rent hikes of over 5% unless your landlord can justify the higher rent increase to a judge. 

Person holding sign that says `keep families in their homes`

KNOW YOUR RIGHTS

If you are a renter in the cities of Poughkeepsie, Kingston, Newburgh, or Beacon, you are covered by Good Cause Eviction unless you live in an owner-occupied building with four or less units.

Your Rights Under Good Cause Eviction: 

  • Your landlord must prove “good cause” in court to evict you
  • You have the right to renew your lease unless your landlord proves “good cause” in court
  • Your landlord cannot raise your rent more than 5% per year without a “good cause”
Person holding a sign that says `housing is not a commodity`

What Doesn’t Good Cause Eviction Do? 

  • It doesn’t apply to owner-occupied buildings with four or less units
  • It doesn’t stop owners from evicting tenants if they are using the unit for personal use
  • It doesn’t regulate the rent in between tenancies
  • In Poughkeepsie and Newburgh, your landlord can evict you without “good cause” if they are selling the building
Two people holding signs. One reads `Evictions = Death` the other says `Stop Evictions Save Lives

What if I’m not covered by Good Cause Eviction? 

The only way to legally remove someone from a property in New York state is through a court order. It is illegal for your landlord to lock you out, shut off your utilities, or physically intimidate you to get you to leave. If your landlord is threatening you with eviction, but does not have a court order, DO NOT SELF EVICT.

GET LEGAL SUPPORT

If your landlord is threatening you with eviction, regardless of whether you think you are covered by Good Cause Eviction, affordable legal support may be available to you. Contact Legal Services of the Hudson Valley: 877-574-8529 or complete their online intake form

More Resources: 

Join the Fight

Momentum for Good Cause Eviction legislation is growing across the Hudson Valley and statewide. For the Many played a key role in passing Good Cause Legislation in Newburgh, Poughkeepsie, Beacon, and Kingston in 2021 and 2022. We organized with tenants and mobilized hundreds of people to call their representatives and show up to public hearings. Now, we’re taking the fight to the state legislature to create protections for 5.5 million renters across New York.

GET INVOLVED: Fill out the form below and we’ll reach out with ways you can join the fight to pass Good Cause Eviction!