ROCHESTER, N.Y. — The Rochester City Council voted to pass Good Cause Eviction legislation on Tuesday, giving tenants across the city extra protections once Mayor Malik Evans signs it into law.

The measure passed with a 7-2 vote. Council Vice President LaShay Harris and Council Member Michael Patterson voted against the measure. Those in favor included Council President Miguel Melendez and Councilmembers Mitch Gruber, Willie Lightfoot, Mary Lupien, Stanley Martin, Bridget Monroe, and Kim Smith.

The legislation includes an amendment that city council introduced that lowers the property size exemption. Only landlords with one unit are exempt from the new legislation ensuring protections apply to nearly all renters. Rent increases are limited to 7.7%.

Why 7.7%?

The legislation passed allows landlords to raise rent by 5% plus either the National Consumer Price Index (CPI) or a flat 10% — whichever is lower.

The current CPI is lower, sitting at 2.7%. Our team added together 2.7% and 5% to get 7.7%.

To check the current CPI, click this link.

The move aligns Rochester’s Good Cause with other upstate localities that adopted similar protections after the 2024 New York State budget.

Under Good Cause Eviction, all property owners in Rochester must provide “good cause” before evicting a tenant. City council says these are among the acceptable reasons for eviction:

• Non-payment of rent, provided the unpaid rent did not result from an unreasonable rent increase.
• Violation of a substantial obligation of the lease.
• Nuisance on the property committed or allowed by the tenant.
• Interference with the comfort or safety of the landlord or other occupants.
• Occupancy violates or causes a violation of law.
• Use of the property for an illegal purpose.
• Unreasonably refusing landlord access.
• Recovering possession of the unit for the personal use and principal residence of the landlord.
• Demolition or withdrawal of the unit from the housing market. 
• Tenant refusal to agree to reasonable changes or reasonable rent increases.

The legislation creates exemptions for the following: 

• Units exceeding 245% of the fair market rent for Monroe County. 
• Buildings for which a certificate of occupancy was issued on or after January 1, 2009;
• Units already subject to local, state, or federal rent regulations;
• Owner-occupied buildings containing fewer than 10 units;
• Manufactured homes located in manufactured home parks;
• Units occupied as an incident to the tenant’s job that is being lawfully terminated; 
• Hotel rooms and other transient uses;
• Religious facilities or institutions; seasonal use units; units within hospitals; and dormitories.