Latest news with #GoodCauseEviction
New York Times
10-05-2025
- Business
- New York Times
Don't Trust Your Landlord? Here's How You Can Find More Information.
Q: I rent an apartment in a Central Harlem townhouse. The building has three units, but I know that the landlord owns other properties, which are most likely registered under different LLCs. My lease is year-to-year, causing me a terrible amount of worry. New York's Good Cause Eviction law exempts landlords who own fewer than 10 properties, and I just don't know how many my landlord actually owns. How can I figure that out, so I can confirm that I'm protected by the law and not subject to punitive rent increases? A: The Good Cause Eviction law, which was passed last year, limits rent increases and prevents arbitrary evictions in certain market-rate apartments. But as you point out, the law has exceptions, including apartments in condo or co-op buildings and certain owner-occupied buildings. In New York City, it also exempts 'small' landlords — those who own 10 units or fewer anywhere in the state. (In every other municipality that has adopted this law, the 'small landlord' definition is no more than one unit.) So, the extent of your landlord's holdings can indeed determine whether you are covered. Unfortunately, said Cea Weaver, the director of the nonprofit Housing Justice For All, 'It's not really easy to look this up in publicly available data.' The government doesn't have a database for you, but Ms. Weaver's organization and JustFix, another housing nonprofit, have published one at You can enter your address and answer a few questions to get more information about your landlord. 'It gives you information you need to make an informed decision about how to negotiate for a fairer lease term,' Ms. Weaver said. The two nonprofits built the database using information from government data sources, and it can give you a good idea of whether your apartment is covered. The results won't prove your case in court, but they could lead you to documents that will. (JustFix also has a 'who owns what' database that can help renters.) If you want to look up limited liability corporations, some information is available through the New York's Department of State. Otherwise, information about each landlord's statewide holdings is not readily available. However, the law requires landlords to let tenants know if they are exempt from the law. So press yours for an answer. Good Cause Eviction is a defense in court against eviction proceedings, but hopefully it doesn't get that far. Wait to see what your rent increase will be, and if it's too high, use the nonprofit tools to negotiate for a fair increase.
Yahoo
28-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
City Council overrides Mayor Kraham's veto on Good Cause Eviction law
BINGHAMTON, N.Y. (WIVT/WBGH) – As expected, the Democratically controlled Binghamton City Council has over-ridden Republican Mayor Jared Kraham's veto of the recently passed Good Cause Eviction law. The Council hastily called a special meeting for this afternoon to vote on the override after its meeting Wednesday was derailed by last minute concerns raised by the city's attorney. After a public comment period during which local landlords and realtors reiterated their objections to the legislation, the override was successful with all six Council members present voting for the law. Council President Mike Dundon was the only member absent. Good Cause Eviction would ban landlords from kicking out tenants in retaliation for complaining about conditions. It would also limit how much property owners can raise their rent. Kraham vetoed the law saying it would hurt the local real estate market. Greek Peak hosting annual pond skimming event City Council overrides Mayor Kraham's veto on Good Cause Eviction law Dancing with D opens its doors on Clinton Street Whitney Point participate in Ag in the Classroom Donnelly resigns as Town of Vestal councilman Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
27-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
Mayor Kraham vetoes Good Cause Eviction law
BINGHAMTON, N.Y. (WIVT/WBGH) – Binghamton Mayor Jared Kraham has vetoed city council's proposed Good Cause Eviction law. The law was passed unanimously by the fully Democratic City Council last month. It restricts landlords from evicting tenants for retaliatory reasons and limits the amount of rent hikes. Kraham, a Republican, vetoed the law earlier this week. Council was poised to override his veto at its meeting last night, but that plan was unexpectedly derailed when the city's attorney, who is supposed to serve both the Council and the Mayor, raised legal concerns with how the legislation was written. Democratic Majority Leader Rebecca Rathmell says City Council is still committed to passing Good Cause, and a special business meeting is scheduled for tomorrow at 3:15 to address the mayor's veto. Molinaro on Capitol Hill for FTA nomination hearing ICE detainees housed at Broome County Jail Mayor Kraham vetoes Good Cause Eviction law BU art exhibit celebrates Women's History Month BOCES holds annual Job Readiness Fair Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
12-03-2025
- Politics
- Yahoo
'Good cause' at a cost: Counties may have to pick either good cause evictions or rent stabilization
Renter advocates gathered in Annapolis in February to call on lawmakers to pass Good Cause Eviction legislation. (Photo by Danielle J. Brown/Maryland Matters) Supporters of 'good cause' eviction laws may finally get their bill this year — but it might come at the cost of other renter protections, as local jurisdictions could have to pick between rent-control measures or good cause evictions under a plan being considered by Senate leaders. Advocates are going on 10 years trying to get the legislature to make it harder for landlords to kick out tenants without citing a good reason for doing so – so-called 'good cause' or 'just cause' evictions – and were hopeful this might be the year that Senate Bill 651 finally got out of the Senate committee where it had languished. They say the Senate plan represents 'poison amendments.' But Senate leaders say that, with the state facing a 96,000-unit housing shortage, they fear that too many local renter protections will drive developers away at a time when the state is desperate to bring in new housing options. 'We are most focused on finding ways to increase supply of affordable homes,' Senate President Bill Ferguson (D-Baltimore City) said Tuesday. 'And so any new policy we are considering, we are viewing from a lens of not inhibiting future investments in affordable housing.' Ferguson and Judicial Proceedings Chair Will Smith (D-Montgomery) are pushing an amendment that would let counties choose either good cause evictions or rent stabilization efforts – but not both. 'What we're looking at in the Senate is, one or the other,' Ferguson said. 'If a jurisdiction already has the vacancy protections in place — that would not allow for the increase in rents with a vacancy — then good cause would not be permissible.' Vacancy control is an element of rent stabilization that limits rent increases in between tenants. 'And so, if a jurisdiction adopted good cause, it would preempt any local policy for rent capping in any way,' he said. 'Having them both really creates an impractical solution.' As drafted, SB 651 would protect tenants against lease non-renewal if the landlord does not cite from a broad list of reasons that say why the tenant is getting kicked out. Such reasons for a good cause eviction would include not paying rent, engaging in disorderly conduct or breaching the lease agreement, among other issues. But during bill hearings on the legislation in both House and Senate committees, housing developers and representatives for landlords said that they're less likely to do business in areas where they have to navigate a bunch of regulations and renter protections. 'There are a lot of conversations about the regulatory burden that is preventing the increase in supply of affordable housing,' Ferguson said. 'Part of the housing discussion right now is that we have too many local regulations that prohibit ongoing investment, and if you look at places like Montgomery County in particular, there is a huge disincentive to invest in affordable housing.' Judicial Proceedings was scheduled to vote on SB 651 Tuesday afternoon, but Smith pushed the committee vote to later in the week. He said that the amendment in the works 'balances the dire need to create new housing and incentivize the creation of new housing' while also creating protections for renters. Renters hope 'good cause eviction' bill will overcome Senate committee hurdle 'We, as lawmakers, have an obligation to ensure that we're going forward and creating new housing so that housing prices come down … while at the same time providing vital protections for renters,' Smith said Tuesday. 'That's the balance we're trying to strike amid a massive housing crisis. 'Something's got to give,' he said. But advocates in Montgomery County say the choice between good cause evictions and rent control efforts would undermine the effectiveness of the renter protection policies. 'It's a false and unnecessary choice,' Montgomery Councilmember Kristin Mink (D) said Tuesday. 'It does not make sense to put those opposed to each other.' The amendment being discussed by senators would mean that Montgomery County would have to throw out its current rent stabilization policies in order to implement a good cause law, which Mink said is 'not a workable deal.' She and dozens of other local leaders signed on to a letter to the Judicial Proceedings Committee urging members to pass a 'clean' good cause bill and reject any amendments that force counties to make a decision between good cause and rent stabilization efforts. Matt Losak, executive director of the Montgomery County Renters Alliance, said the goals of rent stabilization and good cause evictions serve different purposes. Rent stabilization keeps rent costs down, while good cause protects tenants against needless evictions, to prevent homelessness and instability. 'We're concerned that there is no good solution and that renters will pay the price,' said Losak, who's advocacy groups is one of the main organizations supporting the good cause eviction effort. 'I hope there is time for cooler heads to prevail and for JPR [Judicial Proceedings] to do the right thing,' Losak said. 'I am deeply dismayed that the leadership of JPR would not lend its full-throated support in opposition to these poison amendments.' Ferguson said 'it's hard to see it moving in the Senate without having some determination to allow one policy or the other in a jurisdiction, not both.' 'The legislative process is about compromise. There's no such thing as a perfect bill,' he said. 'We're trying to balance a lot of different interests. And I think this is a good example where there's been a lot of work done to try to find a path that works, that has moved the ball down the field. And I think incorporates a lot of the concerns from all parties involved. Mink disagrees that the proposed policy choice is a compromise. 'The idea of trading off vacancy control for good cause is some kind of compromise – it is absolutely not the case,' she said. 'This amendment would be a huge deal.'
Yahoo
24-02-2025
- Yahoo
Good Cause Eviction training sessions to be held this week
BINGHAMTON, N.Y. (WIVT/WBGH) – Binghamton City Council is looking to educate the community on its newly passed legislation. After months of meetings, hearing both positive feedback and push back, Binghamton City Council unanimously passed the Good Cause Eviction Law on February 12. City Council says Good Cause Eviction will prohibit landlords from making unwarranted evictions, prevent rent hikes, and hold bad landlords accountable. As part of City Council's commitment to supporting both tenants and landlords in navigating the implementation of the law, CNY Fair Housing will host training sessions later this week. The sessions will include information about the legislation's expanded protections and protocol requirements. From Councilmember Nate Hotchkiss introduced the local law late last year. Good Cause Eviction passes through Binghamton City Council 'While we look forward to the positive impact Good Cause Eviction law will have on housing stability for local residents, we recognize that even good change can come with challenges. This week's training is just the first among several opportunities being coordinated to make ongoing education and legal expertise available to those impacted by the anticipated adoption,' said Hotchkiss. The Fair Housing training for Landlords will be held on Thursday from 10 to 11:30 a.m. in the Ahearn Room at the Broome County Public Library. The Fair Housing training for Service Providers and Tenants will also be held in the Ahearn Room on Thursday, taking place from 2 to 3:30. Big Lots in Vestal closing, hosting inventory sale Delaware County man accused of child sex abuse Good Cause Eviction training sessions to be held this week Tickets for annual 'Meet the Ponies' event on sale now Philharmonic honors America with latest Pops performance Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
