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
Federal programs
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
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
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
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
References
- ^ 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.
