Just cause eviction, also known as good 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]
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New Jersey was the first state to pass a just-cause eviction law in 1974. [1] Interest in these laws has grown in recent years with California passing a just-cause eviction law in 2019 [4] and Oregon passing a bill enumerating valid causes for evicting tenants the same year. [5] Washington passed a similar bill in 2021. [6]
The New York State legislature considered a similar bill in its 2023 legislative session. Senate Housing Chair Brian Kavanagh explained his belief that just-cause laws are "basically the notion that you can't be evicted if you're paying your rent and meet your obligations as a tenant. You can't be evicted for no good reason." [7]
Some cities also have similar ordinances for tenants. [3]
Good cause is also required for evicting a tenant in the Low Income Housing Tax Credit program, [8] although the definition of what constitutes a "good cause" has fluctuated over time [9] [10] and can be defined by state and local governments. [11]
In England and Wales, a Section 21 notice allows landlords to evict tenants with no cause. [12] The Renter's Reform Bill was proposed on May 17, 2023, to ban no-cause evictions. [13] [14]