Nyack Becomes First Village, 7th Upstate Municipality to Opt Into Good Cause
Nyack, NY – The Nyack Village Board voted to opt into Good Cause Eviction Protections on Thursday night, becoming the first village to adopt the tenant protections following the passage of state authorizing legislation in April. With Good Cause Eviction Protections, Nyack renters will be able to count on renewing their lease at a reasonable rent.
“We are proud that Nyack is the first village in New York to adopt Good Cause Eviction, protecting the people who form the backbone of our community. Almost 70% of the households in Nyack are renters, and we want to make it just a little easier for them to stay here by protecting them from unreasonable price spikes in their lease renewals,” said Nyack Mayor Joseph Rand. “As a renter in Nyack currently affected by the lack of tenant protection in the village, Good Cause will protect tenants from unfair evictions and rent hikes and is another step towards rent stabilization through the adoption of the Emergency Tenant Protection Act,” said Nyack renter Nancy N. Jagelka.
Tenants covered by Good Cause will be able to challenge rent hikes that are more than the Consumer Price Index (CPI) + 5% (8.82% 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.
Like Albany, Beacon, Ithaca, Kingston, Newburgh, and Poughkeepsie, Nyack’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, Nyack also raised the high rent exemption threshold to 345% of Fair Market Rent.
Eligible renters in Nyack must live in a building built before 2009; 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 which already have such lease protections.
“It’s exciting to see villages use this law to take on the rampant speculation and unjust evictions that are pushing tenants out of their communities,” said Cea Weaver, Coalition Director of Housing Justice for All. “No matter what town you live in or who your landlord is, tenants in every part of the state deserve housing stability.”