Just cause eviction
Just cause eviction, also known as good cause eviction and for cause eviction, describes laws that aim to provide tenants protection from unreasonable evictions, rent hikes, and non-renewal of lease agreements. These laws allow tenants to challenge evictions in court that are not for "legitimate" reasons.[1] Generally, landlords oppose just-cause eviction laws due to concerns over profit, housing stock,[2] and court cases.[3]
United States
[edit]_NYS_Senate_Deputy_Majority_Leader_Michael_Gianaris_(52764192982).jpg)
Federal programs
[edit]Good cause is required for evicting a tenant in the Low Income Housing Tax Credit program,[4] although the definition of what constitutes a "good cause" has fluctuated over time[5][6] and can be defined by state and local governments.[7]
State programs
[edit]New Jersey passed the Anti-Eviction Act of 1974, becoming the first state to enact a just cause eviction law.[1]
California passed the Tenant Protection Act of 2019 to remedy the state's housing shortage, leading to renewed interest in utilizing just cause eviction laws to counteract the national housing crisis.[8]
New Hampshire passed a bill enumerating valid causes for evicting tenants in 2015[9], with similar bills passed by Oregon in 2019[10], Washington in 2021[11], and Colorado in 2024.[12]
New York passed the Good Cause Eviction Law of 2024 as part of their annual state budget.[13] It took immediate effect in New York City, with the ability for other cities and municipalities within the state to opt-in.[13] Municipalities that have since opted-in include Albany, Beacon, Binghamton, Catskill, Croton-on-Hudson, Fishkill, Hudson, Ithaca, Kingston, Newburgh, New Paltz, Nyack, Poughkeepsie and Rochester.[14]
Just cause eviction legislation is currently pending in Connecticut[15] and Maryland.[16]
Municipal programs
[edit]Boston passed the Jim Brooks Community Stabilization Act of 2017.[17]
Philadelphia amended its Unfair Rental Practices law in 2018 to add just cause eviction protections.[18]
United Kingdom
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In England and Wales, a Section 21 notice allows landlords to evict tenants with no cause.[19]
The Renters' Reform Bill was proposed in 2023 to ban no cause evictions nationwide, but failed to pass into law.[20][21][22]
A revised Renters' Rights Bill was introduced in 2024 and is currently pending within Parliament.[22]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b Cohen, Rachel M. (2023-05-01). "The fight to make it harder for landlords to evict their tenants". Vox. Retrieved 2023-07-07.
- ^ "'Good Cause Eviction' bill is top focus as Albany zeros on housing crisis". www.ny1.com. Retrieved 2023-07-08.
- ^ Kaysen, Ronda (2022-05-21). "What Is 'Good Cause Eviction,' and What Does It Mean for Renters?". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2023-07-08.
- ^ "26 U.S. Code § 42 - Low-income housing credit". LII / Legal Information Institute. Retrieved 2023-07-08.
- ^ Jolin, Marc. "Good Cause Eviction and the Low Income Housing Tax Credit".
- ^ Jolin, Marc (2000). "Good Cause Eviction and the Low Income Housing Tax Credit". University of Chicago Law Review. 67: 521.
- ^ "An Advocate's Guide to Tenants' Rights in the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit Program" (PDF).
- ^ "Bill Text - AB-1482 Tenant Protection Act of 2019: tenancy: rent caps". leginfo.legislature.ca.gov. Retrieved 2023-07-08.
- ^ Dewey, Caitlin (July 5, 2023). "Some states to landlords: You can't evict tenants without a good reason • Pennsylvania Capital-Star". Pennsylvania Capital-Star. Retrieved February 22, 2025.
- ^ "Senate Bill 608".
- ^ "RCW 59.18.650: Eviction of tenant, refusal to continue tenancy, end of periodic tenancy—Cause—Notice—Penalties". app.leg.wa.gov. Retrieved 2023-07-08.
- ^ Salmonsen, Mary (May 1, 2024). "Colorado's for-cause eviction bill signed into law". Multifamily Dive. Retrieved February 22, 2025.
- ^ a b "New York State's Good Cause Eviction Law". NYSAR. January 21, 2025. Retrieved February 22, 2025.
- ^ "After weeks of debate, City Council unanimously passes Good Cause Eviction law". Pipe Dream. February 13, 2025. Retrieved February 22, 2025.
- ^ Putterman, Alex (February 18, 2025). "Should a landlord be allowed to evict you for no reason? CT lawmakers debate 'just cause' bill". CT Insider. Retrieved February 22, 2025.
- ^ Brown, Danielle J. (February 19, 2025). "Renters hope 'good cause eviction' bill will overcome Senate committee hurdle". Maryland Matters. Retrieved February 22, 2025.
- ^ "Council Passes the Jim Brooks Stabilization Act". Boston.gov. October 6, 2017. Retrieved February 22, 2025.
- ^ "A Short History of Good Cause". The Philadelphia Partisan. December 15, 2018. Retrieved February 22, 2025.
- ^ "No-fault evictions to be banned in reform of rental sector". BBC News. 2023-05-16. Retrieved 2023-07-08.
- ^ "Guide to the Renters (Reform) Bill". GOV.UK. Retrieved 2023-07-08.
- ^ "Warning more funding needed to enforce no-fault evictions ban". BBC News. 2023-06-27. Retrieved 2023-07-08.
- ^ a b Murdock, Meghann (February 19, 2025). "No-fault evictions at highest level for 8 years as wait for reform continues". The Standard. Retrieved February 22, 2025.
