News from other sources: Can apartment renovations count as 'demolition’?

Demolition isn’t so clear cut under New York’s Good Cause legislation.

The gray area is one of the few reasons a landlord can evict rent-paying tenants in unregulated apartments under the 2024 tenant protections law. https://t.co/z0N1acgjZw

— THE CITY (@THECITYNY) May 13, 2026

An article from last week that we wanted to share... 

Three East Village tenants are at the center of a new legal fight that could help shape how New York’s Good Cause Eviction law is interpreted in housing court. 

As reported by THE CITY, landlords are increasingly citing "demolition" as a reason not to renew leases under the state's relatively new Good Cause protections — even when buildings themselves are not actually slated to come down. 

The article focuses in part on three East Village residents who are challenging whether gut renovations of individual apartments qualify as "demolition" under the law. Their cases could help determine how broadly landlords can use that exemption moving forward. Under the Good Cause Eviction law, which took effect in April 2024, many market-rate tenants gained new protections against eviction and excessive rent increases. 

However, landlords can still refuse lease renewals under certain conditions — including if they can show a good-faith plan to demolish a housing accommodation. The problem: the law never clearly defines whether "demolition" means tearing down an entire building or substantially renovating individual units. 

As THE CITY notes, housing court judges are now beginning to weigh in, with tenants arguing some landlords are using renovation plans as a workaround to sidestep Good Cause protections. 

Read the full article here.