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NYC’s Good Cause Eviction Law: What Market-Rate Renters Need to Know in 2026
NYC’s Good Cause Eviction Law (effective April 2024) protects market-rate renters from eviction without cause and unreasonable rent hikes. Here’s how to use it.

If you rent a market-rate apartment in New York City, you now have protections that simply didn’t exist a few years ago. The Good Cause Eviction Law — signed into state law and effective April 20, 2024 — changed the rules for millions of unregulated renters. But most tenants still don’t know how to use it.

Here’s what it actually means for you and how to put it to work if your landlord is pressuring you out.

What Is the Good Cause Eviction Law?

Before Good Cause Eviction, if you rented a market-rate (unregulated) apartment, your landlord could refuse to renew your lease for virtually any reason — or no reason at all. You had almost no recourse.

The Good Cause Eviction Law changed that. Under the law, landlords of covered market-rate homes in New York City cannot end your tenancy without a legally recognized “good cause” reason. This protection applies to eviction cases filed in Housing Court on or after April 20, 2024. You can raise it as a defense if your landlord tries to evict you or refuses to renew your lease without a valid justification.

The law is verified by the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development (HPD) at nyc.gov/site/hpd/services-and-information/good-cause-eviction.page.

What Counts as “Good Cause”?

According to NYC HPD and the New York State Attorney General, acceptable reasons a landlord can cite to end your tenancy include:

  • Non-payment of rent (but only after proper notice and if the increase wasn’t unreasonable)
  • Violation of lease terms
  • Nuisance or illegal activity
  • The landlord wants to move into the unit personally (owner occupancy), subject to restrictions
  • Substantial renovation or demolition of the building (subject to specific legal requirements)

Simply wanting a new tenant, wanting to rent at a higher price, or not liking you — those are not good cause reasons. If your landlord sends you a non-renewal notice without a valid reason, you have the right to challenge it in Housing Court.

Rent Increase Protections Under Good Cause

The law also limits how much a landlord can raise your rent without triggering additional legal scrutiny. A rent increase is considered “unreasonable” under Good Cause Eviction if it exceeds the local rent standard, which is calculated as 5% plus the local inflation rate for the New York City metro area.

For example: if the NYC-area inflation rate is 3%, the local rent standard would be 8%. If your current rent is $2,000, your landlord could raise it by up to $160 (8%) before the increase is considered potentially unreasonable. A larger increase doesn’t automatically void the lease — but it gives you a legal defense if you are then evicted for nonpayment of that increased rent.

This is not a rent freeze. It is a protection that gives you standing in court if you are priced out and then pursued for nonpayment.

Does Good Cause Apply to Your Apartment?

The law covers most unregulated (market-rate) apartments in New York City, but there are important exclusions. Your apartment is likely NOT covered if:

  • It is already rent-stabilized or rent-controlled (those tenants have separate, stronger protections)
  • The building has fewer than 4 units and the owner lives in the building
  • The unit is a condo or co-op
  • The building was built after 2009 (for the first 30 years of its existence)
  • The rent is above the “high-rent threshold” (currently set at 245% of fair market rent for the area — typically above $5,000/month for most NYC apartments)

Starting August 18, 2024, landlords are required to provide written notice telling you whether your apartment is covered or not covered by the Good Cause Eviction law when they send renewal offers or non-renewal notices. If your landlord hasn’t told you, that’s a red flag worth investigating.

Notice Requirements: Know Your Rights Before a Lease Ends

Landlords covered by Good Cause Eviction must give advance written notice before ending your tenancy or not renewing your lease. The amount of notice required depends on how long you’ve lived there:

  • 30 days — if you’ve lived there less than 1 year
  • 60 days — if you’ve lived there 1 to 2 years
  • 90 days — if you’ve lived there more than 2 years

If your landlord fails to give proper notice, that is itself a basis for challenging the eviction in Housing Court.

You Don’t Need a Lease to Be Protected

One of the most important — and least understood — aspects of the Good Cause Eviction law: you do not need a written lease to be protected. If you’re a month-to-month tenant, or your lease expired and you’ve been paying rent and your landlord has been accepting it, you may still be covered. The law looks at whether you are a tenant, not whether you have a current signed lease.

How to Use This Law If You’re Facing Eviction

Good Cause Eviction is enforced through the courts. That means you have to show up and raise it as a defense — it won’t be applied automatically. Here’s how to protect yourself:

  • Don’t ignore court notices. If you receive a court petition (Housing Court summons), respond. Failing to appear results in a default judgment against you.
  • Say “I am raising Good Cause Eviction as a defense” when you appear in Housing Court. A judge or housing attorney can help you develop the argument.
  • Document everything. Keep copies of all rent payments, lease renewal correspondence, and any notices your landlord has sent.
  • Seek free legal help immediately. NYC’s right-to-counsel program provides free attorneys to income-eligible tenants facing eviction in Housing Court.

Action Steps

The Good Cause Eviction law is a genuine shift in power for market-rate renters. But like most NYC tenant protections, it only works if you know it exists and use it. Don’t let a non-renewal notice be the last word. You have more rights than your landlord wants you to know.

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