The Legal Aid Society is calling on New York lawmakers to reconvene for a special legislative session in order to pass “Good Cause” eviction protections.

Recent reporting has shown record-breaking rents coupled with a steady uptick in evictions since the State lifted its moratorium in January, illustrating the need for these crucial protections across New York State.

The “Good Cause” eviction bill would require landlords to demonstrate a good reason for evicting tenants in non-rent-stabilized units, protecting tenants from exorbitant rent hikes, and allowing households to advocate for repairs without the fear of retaliation. The bill is also fair to landlords, allowing eviction in situations where the tenant has not paid rent, is causing a nuisance, or in the instance where a landlord wants to take over the unit as their own place of residence.

“New York’s eviction machine is ramping up, and tenants in unregulated units are still deprived of rudimentary protections to defend against rent hikes and unwarranted evictions,” said Judith Goldiner, Attorney-in-Charge of the Civil Law Reform Unit at The Legal Aid Society. “This is indeed a crisis, especially with rent amounts reaching unprecedented levels, and we call on Albany to immediately convene a special session to codify ‘Good Cause’ once and for all.”