Everything You Need To Know About The Albany “Good Cause Eviction” Bill

Albany’s “Good Cause Eviction“ bill could be a trendsetter in New York; at least that is what local lawmakers are hoping.

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On Monday night Albany’s Common Council passed a bill that tenant advocates are praising. The bill is called the “Good Cause Eviction Bill” and when it is signed into law, it will prevent tenants from being evicted for nonpayment of rent when rent increases are deemed unreasonable. An increase in rent by more than 3% of the annual rent, or 150% of the region's Consumer Price Index, is considered unreasonable.

This is a major win for tenant advocates in Albany. With the eviction moratorium no longer in place in NewYork, homelessness is a real possibility for many people living in the state. Although the bill will only address rent increases in Albany, it is setting the footwork for legislation throughout the state.

Cea Weaver of the Housing Justice For All Coalition says the legislation is necessary. She said, “Local government seeking action is a clear message that laws like this are needed and wanted. There’s a real momentum now.“

Not everyone is thrilled about the new bill. Landlord groups believe that the bill could put small landlords out of business, but that is not discouraging lawmakers from moving forward.

Albany is the first city to pass this type of bill and politicians are pushing for statewide legislation. Julia Salazar is sponsoring a similar bill in the state's legislature. Rochester and Buffalo are two other cities in the state who are pushing for legislation like this.

It is good to see Albany pushing forward to keep citizens from falling into homelessness.