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]
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]
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 pending in Connecticut [15] , Maryland [16] and Rhode Island. [17]
Boston passed the Jim Brooks Community Stabilization Act of 2017. [18]
Philadelphia amended its Unfair Rental Practices law in 2018 to add just cause eviction protections. [19]
In England and Wales, a Section 21 notice allows landlords to evict tenants with no cause. [20]
The Renters' Reform Bill was proposed in 2023 to ban no cause evictions nationwide, but failed to pass into law. [21] [22] [23]
A revised Renters' Rights Bill was introduced in 2024 and is pending within Parliament. [23]
