How the Good Cause Eviction Law saved Halloween

/r/meirl on November 1

The 10th Dr Who goes to a bar

and sees a Dalek, a Cyberman, and a Weeping Angel comforting Sexy Luigi. It's not a joke, it was my Halloween this year. I was Dr Who and I was pre-gaming with my 4 friends at Sharlene's before the Tame Impala show at Barclays.

Sexy Luigi had just gotten an eviction email from her landlord saying she needs to be out at the end of November or they'll sell her stuff. I start laughing and everyone turns to me and make faces like I farted at a funeral. The Dalek goes "Why would you laugh at Sexy Luigi?" and I was like "I'm not laughing at Sexy Luigi, I would NEVER laugh at Sexy Luigi".

Just to specify... she was this Sexy Luigi

I tell everyone to take a breath, walk the bartender through making my "Flaming Dr Who" Cocktail (Recipe at the Bottom) for all 5 of us, turn on Janis Joplin's "Kozmic Blues" and finally I explain why the Good Cause Eviction Law protects NYC Tenants like Sexy Luigi.

A regeneration for tenants

If you are a market-rate tenant in New York City, the fundamental nature of your tenancy has changed. The old relationship, long defined by "tenancy-at-will," has regenerated.

"Change my dears and not a moment too soon" The Sixth Dr on the new law.

A landmark piece of legislation known as the "Good Cause Eviction" (GCE) law, which took effect on April 20, 2024, triggered this transformation. This event represents the most significant expansion of tenant rights in a generation. The core promise of this new legal form is simple but revolutionary: for most tenants in unregulated apartments, your tenancy no longer ends simply because a landlord decides it should.

This law signals the end of that long-standing, precarious existence. For decades, landlords of market-rate units could simply choose not to renew a lease for any reason—or no reason at all—as long as they provided proper notice. This left tenants in a constant state of uncertainty, vulnerable to arbitrary displacement.

GCE changes that dynamic entirely, creating a new, stable form of housing security for hundreds of thousands of New Yorkers. This shift is not just a legal technicality; it's a rebalancing. The law now presumes your tenancy is continuous. It transforms your connection to your home from something temporary and at your landlord's discretion to something with a right to renewal.

Your landlord reading the above paragraph

The New Rules of this Tenancy

This new form of tenancy is built on two foundational tenet that work together to protect you:

• A Presumption of Continuity: The law grants tenants in covered apartments a right to a perpetual lease renewal. The tenancy continues. It can only be terminated if you choose to move out or if your landlord takes you to court and successfully proves one of the few specific "good causes" allowed by the statute. This right to remain, once a core tenet of the rent-stabilization system, has now been extended to a huge segment of the market-rate housing stock, giving you the right to stay in your home as long as you abide by your lease.

• A Shield Against Destabilizing Hikes: While GCE does not impose a hard cap on rent increases, it gives you a powerful new legal weapon. The new rules protect you from being forced out by other means. If your landlord tries to raise your rent by an amount the law deems "unreasonable," you can challenge it in court as a defense against eviction for non-payment. This creates a strong incentive for landlords to keep any changes fair and justifiable.

2 Tenets? Do you mean the 10th and 14th Doctors?

Good Cause Eviction Questionnaire

1. Was your building's first Certificate of Occupancy issued on or after January 1, 2009?

2. Is your unit a condominium or a cooperative?

3. Is your unit already subject to Rent Stabilization, Rent Control, or another government rent/income restriction?

4. Is your monthly rent greater than 245% of the Fair Market Rent for its size? (e.g., >$6,005 for a 1-BR in 2025)

5. Does the owner of the building reside in the building, AND does the building contain 10 or fewer units in total?

6. Does the owner (and every individual member of the owning LLC) own a total of 10 or fewer residential units in all of New York State?

• If you answered NO to ALL of the questions, your apartment is likely COVERED by the Good Cause Eviction law.

• If you answered YES to ANY question, your landlord may claim an exemption, but you should still seek legal advice to confirm its validity.

Sexy Luigi didn't get all no's but I'm still 99% sure she's protected by the GCE, & lucky for her she's got a great lawyer who will help her out with that. Hopefully you've got a great lawyer, too. But if you don't you can reach out to my team at any time. Call or text us at 347.669.3256

This Cocktail is FIRE!

"The Flaming Dr Who" Cocktail

Ingredients

• 2 oz Empress 1908 Gin (or any gin infused with butterfly pea flower)

• 0.75 oz St. Germain Elderflower Liqueur

• 0.5 oz Dry Vermouth

• The "Activator" (serve on the side): 1 oz fresh lemon juice, lightly sweetened with simple syrup.

Recipe

1. Chill your glass: Place a coupe glass in the freezer for at least 10 minutes.

2. Stir the drink: combine the gin, St. Germain, and dry vermouth in a mixing glass with ice and stir (DON'T SHAKE!) for about 40 seconds.

3. Strain: Strain the deep blue mixture into your chilled coupe glass.

4. Serve: Present the blue drink to your guest with the small vial of "Activator" (lemon juice) on the side. When they pour it in, the drink will activate, swirling from blue to pink.