Beacon Votes Unanimously to Opt into Good Cause, Protecting Tenants From Rent Hikes and Unfair Evictions
Beacon Closes LLC Loophole To Cover As Many Tenants As Possible
Beacon, NY – Beacon City Council voted unanimously to opt into Good Cause Eviction Protections Monday night, becoming the fifth city to adopt the tenant protections following the passage of state authorizing legislation in April. Good Cause Eviction Protections will protect nearly every Beacon renter from rent hikes and unfair evictions, as well as guarantee lease renewals to tenants who’ve been paying rent and following their lease.
The vote marks a major victory for Beacon Climate Action Now (BCAN), Community Voices Heard, Mid-Hudson Valley Democratic Socialists of America, For the Many, and the statewide Housing Justice for All Coalition.
Tenants covered by Good Cause will be able to challenge rent hikes that are more than the Consumer Price Index (CPI) + 5% (8.45% upstate as of August 2024) or 10%, whichever is lower. Landlords will have to demonstrate that they have a “Good Cause” in order to evict or non-renew a tenant, including not paying rent, lease violations, and nuisance activity.
To be eligible for Good Cause, Beacon tenants must live in a building built before 2009; pay less than 345% of Fair Market Rent (~$4,895/month for a one bedroom); rent from a landlord who owns more than 1 rental unit total; not live in an owner-occupied building with fewer than 11 units, not live in a co-op or condo; not rent their home as part of an employment agreement; not live in manufactured housing; and not live in rent stabilized, subsidized, or public housing.
Governor Kathy Hochul introduced numerous exemptions to Good Cause to limit its coverage, following a 14 million dollar lobbying campaign by the real estate industry to water down the protections. Still, state law allows upstate municipalities to adjust certain exemptions to adapt to local market conditions and cover more renters.
Like Albany, Kingston, Poughkeepsie, and Ithaca, Beacon’s version of Good Cause closes the ‘LLC loophole’ by narrowing the real estate portfolio exemption to 1 rental unit, preventing predatory landlords from evading the law by hiding their portfolios behind anonymous Limited Liability Corporations (LLCs). Like other cities, Beacon also raised the high rent exemption threshold to 345% of Fair Market Rent.
“I appreciate that my fellow Councilmembers were able to move relatively quickly to re-enact this legislation for our Beacon residents,” said Beacon City Councilmember Paloma Wake. “I spoke to many people who were helped when the law was in place in 2022 and 2023 as well as at least one for whom this legislation will help them stay in their homes this month. I am also looking forward to supporting broad public information efforts this fall. Good Cause is only effective when tenants and landlords alike have a clear understanding of what this law does – and doesn’t – do in terms of setting and complying with lease terms. This will be one of many steps in addressing the housing affordability crisis in our very popular city. And looking forward, giving tenants protections from the traumas of eviction, especially in retaliation for being honest about difficult housing situations, we are making sure all voices are heard in the coming conversations about how to address housing needs in our community.”
“BCAN applauds the Beacon City Council for unanimously passing Good Cause Eviction, protecting tenants and helping to keep vulnerable residents in their homes,” said Brian Mandel, a BCAN member. “BCAN members have worked tirelessly to pass this important piece of legislation and we are looking forward to continuing our work on addressing the housing crisis in Beacon and across the Hudson Valley.”
“As a tenant in Beacon, I’ve felt the squeeze as rents skyrocketed and saw too many of my neighbors pushed out of our community,” said Niklas Moran, member of Mid-Hudson Valley Democratic Socialists of America. “The market has failed working people in Beacon and across NY. Good Cause Eviction will give tenants the ability to push back against egregious rent hikes, ask for repairs without fear of retaliation, and plan our lives knowing we can stay in our homes year after year. This is an important step towards curbing the speculation and profiteering that is driving up the cost of housing in our community.”
“Governor Hochul tried to deny upstate tenants basic protections from rent hikes and evictions – but now tenants in five upstate cities have won the rights they deserve,” said Cea Weaver, Coalition Director of Housing Justice for All. “Our coalition will keep fighting from Buffalo to Brooklyn until every New Yorker has a safe, stable home.”
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Housing Justice for All is a statewide coalition of more than 80 organizations representing tenants and homeless New Yorkers, united in our fight for housing as a human right.