Syracuse with doubts about the “good cause” eviction law

The state good cause eviction law has been gradually approved by many American states. This regulation aims to fundamentally protect tenants from unreasonable rent increases and unjustified evictions, as well as to prohibit landlords from evicting tenants without a good reason.

Before this law, landlords had the power to decide whether to renew the lease or increase the rent as much as they wanted. Due to this power, landlords had the ability to evict tenants for any reason they pleased, such as not paying rent, considering them a nuisance, or simply because they no longer wanted to rent the property, etc. Therefore, tenants were always vulnerable and susceptible to the wishes of their landlords.

However, the application of the law will not be required for all rental properties. This law will not apply to landlords who own fewer than 10 properties, nor can it be claimed by tenants living in public housing, regulated rental buildings, or Section 8 housing.

Earlier this year, several communities in upstate New York have been adopting this state regulation; however, Syracuse is one of the major metropolises in the state that is still debating whether to vote for the implementation of the good cause eviction law in their city.

Among the points that the city of Syracuse is debating in the approval or not, is the fear that this law may generate among investors or housing developers; however, the proponents of the law point out that the fundamental objective of the regulation is to protect the rights of tenants and believe that its implementation will not have any repercussions on new housing constructions.

Many of the Syracuse council members do not support the good cause eviction bill. They consider that it is still too early to approve it in the city and argue that this should be better explained to the community so that they clearly understand the real effects of the law and emphasize that they could still wait a little longer while analyzing how it behaves in other cities in the state that have already adopted it, such as Albany and Ithaca.

On the other hand, the council members who support it state that this state law will allow good tenants to keep their homes because the reality is that today they do not have the right to remain in their homes and can be evicted for any reason or no reason at all.

Among the current cases of unjustified evictions, in almost all the most popular and tourist cities in the United States, is what thousands of good tenants have experienced, who have been arbitrarily expelled from their homes when the temporary rental of homes boomed. These unacceptable cases began to occur when landlords noticed that they could receive more money from their properties and for less rental time; therefore, they decided to terminate rental contracts without giving a just cause to tenants who have legally and efficiently fulfilled their part of the contract.

In light of the good cause eviction bill now debated in Syracuse, landlords who could be required to apply it have also spoken out and have stated that if approved, it could be more harmful than the proponents of the law believe. They consider that although it can help generate more control over landlords who abuse tenants, it could negatively affect those who do not; furthermore, they emphasize that in the rental market there are also bad tenants who could be favored by this new law.

Available Foreclosures:

Syracuse: 15 homes available.

Albany: 10 homes available.

Ithaca: 5 homes available.

By Elias DaSilva | October 16, 2024.