Good Cause Eviction in NYC: which units are covered and what the lease must now say

Published October 6, 2026 · 6 min read · By Bulwark

Good Cause Eviction (Real Property Law Article 6-A) applies in New York City since April 20, 2024. For covered units it requires a “good cause” to refuse a renewal or evict, and it makes rent increases above a threshold presumptively unreasonable. Most unregulated NYC rentals are covered unless an exemption applies.

Exemptions

• Small landlords: owners of no more than 10 units statewide (counting units held through entities the owner controls)
• Owner-occupied buildings with 10 or fewer units
• High-rent units: monthly rent above 245% of the Fair Market Rent for the unit size (for 2025–26, roughly $5,800+ for a studio up to $8,900+ for a three-bedroom)
• Units in buildings with a Certificate of Occupancy issued after January 1, 2009, for 30 years from the CO
• Rent-stabilized, rent-controlled and most subsidized units (covered by their own rules)
• Co-ops, condos, seasonal and certain other units

The rent-increase threshold

An increase above the lesser of 10% or 5% plus CPI (the “local rent standard”, published annually, 8.79% for 2025) is presumptively unreasonable, and a tenant can raise it as a defense. Increases above it are allowed if justified by costs or improvements, but the owner must prove it.

Good cause to end a tenancy

Non-payment of a reasonable rent, substantial lease violations, nuisance, illegal use, refusal of access, owner occupancy, demolition or withdrawal from the market, each with its own notice requirements. Simply declining to renew is no longer a cause for a covered unit.

The notice

Every lease, renewal and notice to quit for an NYC rental must now include the Good Cause Eviction Law Notice stating whether the unit is covered and, if not, which exemption applies. Omitting it is a defense in court. We include the correct notice, with the exemption identified, on every lease we prepare.

Good Cause is one of the lease-compliance items handled in full management, alongside rent-stabilization registrations and the annual notices.