Find out the details about your new protections
Good Cause Eviction
Good Cause Eviction Law
The City of Binghamton opted-in to Good Cause Eviction Law (Real Property Law Article 6-A). Good Cause Eviction has an effective date of April 2, 2025.
- Under this law, landlords cannot evict tenants without valid reason (“good cause”) as defined in the law. This offers tenants protection against unjustified or retaliatory evictions.
- Tenants can challenge unreasonable rent increases that are more than 10% or Consumer Price Index (CPI) + 5%, whichever is lower.
- Tenants covered by Good Cause Eviction law have the right to renew their lease, and landlords cannot end their tenancy without a legitimate reason for doing so.
This law only applies to buildings and landlords that meet the qualifications.
Is my building exempt from Good Cause Eviction?
An estimated 84% of all rental units in Binghamton are covered under Good Cause Eviction law. If your building or landlord meet any of the following exemptions:
- Units built within the last 30 years, starting from January 1, 2009.
- Public housing units where rents or evictions are already regulated by federal, state, or local law
- Units rented from coop and condos and manufactured housing units,
- Units in owner-occupied buildings with fewer than 11 units.
- Units within and for use by a religious facility or institution
- Rent from a landlord who owns one unit or fewer in New York State.
- Rent is more than 345% of Fair Market Rent (≈$3,240/month for a one bedroom in 2025).
What are the notice requirements for Good Cause?
Under Real Property Law 231-C landlords must provide notice whether or not your rental unit is covered by the Good Cause Eviction Law. Notice needs to be provided when signing or renewing a lease, raising rent, or starting eviction proceedings.
What is an unreasonable rent increase?
The Good Cause Eviction Law establishes a “local rent standard,” which is the amount of rent increase considered reasonable each year based on inflation in the local area. The local rent standard is set every year at the rate of inflation plus 5%, with a maximum allowable increase of 10%. A rent increase is presumptively unreasonable under the Good Cause Eviction Law if the rent increase is higher than the local rent standard.
- For example, if the inflation rate for the Binghamton area is 3%, the local rent standard would be 8% (5% + inflation).
- If a covered tenant’s rent is $1,000 then increase of more than 8%, or $80, would be above the local rent standard.
- If, however, the local inflation rate were 7%, the local rent standard would be 10% since 7%+5% = 12% and the maximum local rent standard capped at 10%.
- If a covered tenant’s rent is $1,000 then an increase of more than 10%, or $100, would be above the local rent standard.
Will landlords still be able to raise rents?
- Yes. Good Cause Eviction is not a rent cap, but it does give tenants the right to challenge exorbitant rent increases, like the 30, 40, 50 percent increases many tenants are facing now. If a tenant challenges the rent hike, and the landlord demonstrates that they raised rent beyond 10% or 5%+ CPI because of increased costs (e.g. increases in taxes, maintenance costs, or insurance), a judge will allow a larger increase.
- CPI and FMR are adjusted annually. Notice about updates can be found at Homes and Community Renewal – Good Cause Eviction Page
| HUD Fair Market Rents (100%) 2025 | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| COUNTY | EFFICIENCY | 1 BEDROOM | 2 BEDROOM | 3 BEDROOM | 4 BEDROOM |
| Broome County | $869 | $939 | $1,188 | $1,533 | $1,752 |
| NYS Consumer Price Indices 2025 | |
|---|---|
| Annual % Change in Consumer Price Index for Preceding Calendar Year (2023 to 2024) | 3.38% |
| Applicable NYS Counties (outside of NYC, only applies if a municipality has adopted the GCE law) | Albany, Allegany, Broome, Cattaraugus, Cayuga, Chautauqua, Chemung, Chenango, Clinton, Columbia, Cortland, Delaware, Erie, Essex, Franklin, Fulton, Genesee, Greene, Hamilton, Herkimer, Jefferson, Lewis, Livingston, Madison, Monroe, Montgomery, Niagara, Oneida, Onondaga, Ontario, Orleans, Oswego, Otsego, Rensselaer, St. Lawrence, Saratoga, Schenectady, Schoharie, Schuyler, Seneca, Steuben, Sullivan, Tioga, Tompkins, Ulster, Warren, Washington, Wayne |
What are the local amendments that were made?
Binghamton added the following definitions as amendments to provide clarity.
- The term “nuisance” as used in the Good Cause Eviction Law for the City of Binghamton shall mean either a public or private nuisance.
- The terms “withdraw from the housing rental market” or “removal from the housing rental market” shall, subject to a good faith finding by a court pursuant to Real Property Law Section 216(1)(i), include a temporary removal or withdrawal from the housing market of a housing accommodation for the purposes of making significant repairs or improvements to a housing accommodation where the landlord appends to the notice required pursuant to Real Property Law Section 213-c the following:(1) documentation demonstrating the specific work to be accomplished and the timeline therefor and (2) an attestation that no rent or analogous revenue will be collected during the period of such work.