The Town of New Paltz is the latest New York municipality to adopt Good Cause Eviction Law.
The law protects tenants from being evicted unless the landlord has "good cause" for an eviction.
Good causes include failure to pay rent, violation of the lease terms or if a landlord decides to use a rental unit as their primary residence.
The law also allows tenants to challenge large rental increases in court. Price hikes that exceed 5%, plus the rate of inflation, are presumed unreasonable, although landlords can provide evidence to support larger increases.
Susan Denton, the chair of New Paltz's Housing Smart Community Initiative, told the Town Board the law was necessary to help renters.
"We all know that housing has become increasingly expensive, and that finding a safe, decent, and affordable place to live in New Falls has become more difficult for working families, seniors, young people, and people living on fixed incomes," Denton said.
Some landlords and Republican legislators oppose Good Cause Eviction, saying it hurts landlords' bottom lines and discourages real estate investment.
In New Paltz, landlords who only rent one unit are exempt from the law.
