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How New York’s Good Cause Eviction Law Affects Bronx Landlords and Their Tenants

What the Good Cause Eviction Law Really Means for Bronx Landlords and Tenants in 2025

New York’s rental landscape shifted dramatically when the Good Cause Eviction Law took effect — and if you own or rent property in the Bronx, understanding this law isn’t optional. Whether you’re a landlord trying to navigate new legal obligations or a tenant trying to protect your home, the stakes are high. Here’s what you need to know right now.

What Is the Good Cause Eviction Law?

Good Cause Eviction is a New York State law that went into effect on April 20, 2024. It gives some tenants of unregulated (also known as “market rate”) homes in New York City new protections. Before this law, unregulated tenants could be evicted at the end of their lease. Many tenants do not have written leases — they are month-to-month tenants. Month-to-month tenants could be evicted if their landlord gave them a notice to leave, and landlords did not have to give a reason. Tenants who paid rent and followed the rules were evicted without any reason given. That has now changed in a meaningful way.

Landlords of homes covered by the new Good Cause Eviction requirements cannot end a tenancy without a “good cause” reason, and tenants can use this law as a defense in Housing Court. Tenants can also use the law to challenge rent increases above a certain level if they are evicted for nonpayment of rent.

How Does It Affect Bronx Landlords?

With over 1.35 million residents and a renter population exceeding 80 percent, Bronx landlords face significant exposure to nonpayment cases. The borough also has the highest percentage of rent-stabilized units among the five boroughs, requiring careful attention to notice requirements and tenant protection regulations. The Good Cause Eviction Law adds another critical layer of compliance for landlords operating in this already complex environment.

Under the law, Bronx landlords with covered units must now meet strict requirements before ending a tenancy or raising the rent significantly. Depending on how long the tenant has lived in the home, the landlord is required to give 30, 60, or 90 days’ notice that they will not renew the lease or otherwise end the tenancy. Similarly, landlords are required to give that same advance notice if they intend to increase the rent by more than 5%.

The new Good Cause Eviction law prohibits the eviction or removal of tenants from all housing accommodations without good cause, but exempts premises owned by a “small landlord” — defined as any owner of no more than 10 units in the state. This is a critical exemption that many smaller Bronx property owners may qualify for, but it’s essential to verify your status before assuming you are exempt.

Starting on August 18, 2024, the Good Cause Eviction Law requires every landlord covered by the law to include specific language in every lease, renewal lease, and legal notice sent to tenants. Failure to include this language can create legal complications that delay or derail an otherwise valid eviction case.

Rent Increases Under Good Cause: What’s the Cap?

One of the most impactful provisions of the law relates to rent increases. The law makes annual rent increases above ten percent or five percent plus the Consumer Price Index (whichever is lower) presumptively unreasonable, to protect tenants against price gouging. Using the current local rent standard of 8.79%, landlords can multiply the current rent by 1.0879 to see the maximum reasonable rent increase on a covered home. For example, if current rent is $2,000: $2,000 x 1.0879 = $2,175.80 — increasing the rent above that amount could be found unreasonable in court.

However, in an eviction case the court will have the final decision on whether a rent increase is unreasonable. Landlords may provide reasons for a higher rent increase for the court to consider, such as significant repairs or increased property taxes.

Real-World Impact: A Bronx Case Study

The law is already making a difference in the Bronx. In one Bronx case, a landlord did not offer their tenant a lease renewal, attempted to pressure the tenant to move into a basement apartment, and then filed to evict the tenant. An elderly tenant of 25 years was able to raise Good Cause Eviction as a defense when the landlord proposed a 100% rent increase. The landlord ultimately agreed to a 10% increase, which was below the Fair Market Rent. Stories like this illustrate why both landlords and tenants must understand the law’s reach before taking action.

Which Units Are NOT Covered?

Not every rental unit in the Bronx falls under the Good Cause Eviction Law. Tenants are not eligible if they live in a unit built after 2009, if it is owner-occupied with less than 11 units, rented from a co-op or condo, occupied as part of an employment agreement, a manufactured home, or already rent stabilized, subsidized, or public housing. The law also does not affect tenants in rent-regulated apartments, who are already protected from eviction without cause.

What Counts as “Good Cause” for Eviction?

Even under this new law, landlords do retain the right to evict tenants when legitimate grounds exist. Under the Good Cause Eviction law, landlords are allowed to evict tenants for reasons including: the tenant has not paid rent (unless the nonpayment is because of an unreasonable rent increase), the tenant has violated a substantial obligation of their tenancy or breached the landlord’s rules and regulations, or the tenant has committed or allowed a nuisance in the home. Additional grounds include an owner intending to make the apartment their primary residence or the primary residence of close family members, or an owner intending to withdraw the unit from the housing market.

When a Court Issues a Warrant: The Role of a NYC Marshal

When a landlord has followed every legal step, obtained a court judgment, and a Warrant of Eviction has been issued, the next phase requires the involvement of a licensed NYC Marshal. For landlords dealing with a legitimate nyc eviction bronx situation, working with a professional and authorized marshal is the only lawful way to carry out the eviction order.

Edward F. Guida Jr. #14 of Guida Marshal Service is a Mayor-appointed NYC Marshal who has been serving clients and the community with compassion, understanding, and dignity since 1988. Appointed in 2016 to the position of Marshal, City of New York, Edward F. Guida Jr. #14 continues serving the public by maintaining integrity and dedication to his clients. As a NYC Marshal office, Guida is authorized to perform a Legal Possession or an Eviction once a Warrant of Eviction has been issued by the NYC Court System within the 5 boroughs. While acting on your behalf, the office always conducts itself in a respectful and professional manner with all parties involved, and is equipped with the latest technology to gather and facilitate information and documentation needed during the process.

Guida Marshal Service currently offers marshal services in all five boroughs of New York City, with offices open Monday through Friday from 9am to 5pm. It is the mission of the New York City Marshal to enforce the orders of the New York City Civil Courts and the New York State Supreme Court, including collecting on judgments, carrying out evictions, seizing utility meters, and towing vehicles.

Key Takeaways for Bronx Landlords and Tenants

The Good Cause Eviction Law has reshaped the landlord-tenant dynamic across the Bronx. Whether you’re a property owner trying to reclaim your unit lawfully or a tenant asserting your new rights, understanding the process from start to finish — including the final enforcement step with a licensed marshal — is essential. For questions about lawful eviction enforcement across all five boroughs, contact Guida Marshal Service at (718) 779-2134 or visit nycmarshal14.com.

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