Troy renters will have to wait, again, for renters’ protections.
The all-Democratic City Council passed legislation Thursday that would prevent landlords from evicting residents without so-called “good cause.”
But a spokesperson for Mayor Carmella Mantello, a Republican, told reporters that the mayor would be vetoing the local law.
The measure would limit rent increases to the Consumer Price Index plus 5% or 10% overall each year, choosing whichever is lower. It would also make it illegal for landlords to retaliate against tenants for speaking up about unfit living conditions. Examples of good cause to evict a tenant include not paying rent, illegal use of property, and malicious damage.
Mark Speedy, an original organizer in the local movement, says they are moving in a positive direction knowing the council has renters’ backs.
“I know that the mayor is going to try and veto it, and I know that the city council, or I trust that the city council, will continue to fight back and override that,” Speedy said. “So excited, both for this and for what it means for what's going next.”
Speaking during a public comment period before the vote, Mantello called on the council to forgo taking action until a study can be completed. The first-term mayor says while she “deeply believes” in protecting tenants, the council needs to slow down.
“I expect we'll hear strong arguments in support of this proposal, but what I'm asking for, respectfully and sincerely, is an unbiased, independent analysis of what good cause eviction actually means for Troy -- not assumptions, not ideology, not comparisons that don't fit our market -- a real economic and housing impact report,” Mantello said. “How will this affect small landlords who own two- or three-family homes. How will it affect new construction? How will it affect financing for affordable housing projects? And how will it affect rents over time? Because of the result of this policy, it's to reduce supply, even unintentionally, we risk creating the very problem we're trying to solve.”
Only a dozen-or-so municipalities in New York have opted into the state’s Good Cause Eviction Law, which is only required in New York City. State legislation passed in 2024 required New York City to adopt good cause measures. But around the rest of the state, municipalities can opt in by passing a local law, as cities like Albany, Kingston, Hudson and New Paltz have done.
Despite the news of the incoming veto, Council President Sue Steele cheered the passage of the local law. Steele, a Democrat, called the want for a study “ironic.” Steele says she had previously suggested a housing study and the mayor “flatly refused.”
“The time for study has long passed,” Steele said. “The time to listen to the people of Troy is now, and we have listened to them, and we will enact Good Cause Eviction to protect tenants and to acknowledge good landlords.”
Mantello previously told WAMC the city did not have a shortage of affordable housing.
Troy considered passing similar measures last year, but the council's former Republican majority ultimately voted the effort down, arguing such laws negatively impact landlords and hurt economic growth. The passage of the local law comes after a formal public hearing last month and dozens of public forums being used as a space for renters and landlords to share their thoughts.
The 2026 fair market rate for a one-bedroom apartment in the Albany-Schenectady-Troy area is $1,417, according to U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, up roughly $200 from 2025.
Speedy, of the Good Cause coalition, says after the council likely moves forward overturning the mayor’s veto, renters will return to council chambers and continue advocating for rights.
“There's been a lot of talk about a residential occupancy permit program. That's something that both the mayor and the council have said that they want. But it is a sort of complex proposal where the devil is in the details,” Speedy said.
During her legislative address, which was also delivered Thursday night, Steele said the council plans to pursue residential occupancy permits.
Mantello has 10 days to veto the legislation.
