Eviction Laws in Beacon, New York
Beacon is a Hudson River city of about 13,800 in Dutchess County, roughly 60 miles north of New York City and a stop on the Metro-North Hudson Line that puts Grand Central within about 90 minutes. Once an industrial hat-making town, Beacon transformed over the past two decades into one of the Hudson Valley’s premier arts-and-tourism destinations — anchored by Dia:Beacon, a major contemporary art museum, and a revitalized Main Street — and into a sought-after New York City commuter community. That rapid gentrification pushed rents and home values well above the upstate norm, with a median household income near $80,000 and a median rent around $1,700 — among the highest of any city in this guide outside the New York City suburbs. In response to those pressures, Beacon became one of the relatively few New York municipalities to adopt the Good Cause Eviction Law. Unlike most cities in this guide, Beacon landlords face real limits on ending tenancies and raising rents.
New York eviction law — the Real Property Actions and Proceedings Law (RPAPL) Article 7 — requires landlords to serve a written notice before filing suit. For nonpayment of rent, a 14-day written rent demand is required under RPAPL § 711(2). For lease violations, a 10-day notice to cure is required under RPAPL § 753(4). Month-to-month tenancies require 30 days’ notice if under one year, 60 days between one and two years, and 90 days beyond two years (RPL § 232-b as amended by HSTPA 2019). Under HSTPA, tenants may cure a nonpayment at any time until the sheriff physically executes the warrant of eviction. Self-help eviction — changing locks, removing belongings, or shutting off utilities without a court order — is a criminal misdemeanor under RPAPL § 768. In Beacon, these statewide rules operate on top of the local Good Cause Eviction Law, which adds a further layer of protection for most tenants.
As of August 18, 2024, all landlords statewide must include the Good Cause Eviction Law notice (RPL § 231-c) on every lease, every rent demand, every petition, and every notice — even for units that are exempt from the substantive Good Cause protections. Failure to include this notice can result in dismissal of the proceeding.
Beacon — The Good Cause Eviction Law (In Force)
Beacon Opted In on August 19, 2024. The City of Beacon adopted New York’s Good Cause Eviction Law (Real Property Law Article 6-A). For covered units, a landlord may not evict a tenant or refuse to renew a lease simply because the lease term has ended — the landlord must establish one of the statutory “good cause” grounds. (An earlier local good-cause ordinance from 2022 was struck down in court; the 2024 opt-in re-established the protection under the state framework.)
Which Units Are Covered. Beacon’s law applies to a landlord who owns more than one rental unit, in a building built before 2009, where the rent is below 345% of Dutchess County fair market rent (as published by HUD/DHCR). Notably, Beacon set its exemptions on the more tenant-protective end: the high-rent exemption is pegged at 345% of fair market rent rather than the 245% default, so more units are covered, and the small-landlord exemption is limited to landlords owning only one unit anywhere in New York State — so any landlord with two or more units is subject to the law.
What Is Exempt. Three categories fall outside Good Cause: (1) “small landlords” who own only one unit statewide; (2) units in buildings constructed in 2009 or later; and (3) units renting at or above 345% of Dutchess County fair market rent. Exempt units still follow baseline RPAPL Article 7 and HSTPA — and must still carry the § 231-c notice — but do not require a “good cause” to end a market-rate tenancy.
Rent-Increase Reasonableness. For covered units, there is a rebuttable presumption that a rent increase above the lower of 10% or the local inflation standard (the regional Consumer Price Index plus 5%) is “unreasonable.” A tenant’s refusal to pay a rent increase found unreasonable is not good cause for eviction, and a landlord seeking a larger increase must be prepared to justify it to the court (citing increased costs or substantial improvements).
The “Good Cause” Grounds. For covered units, permissible grounds to evict or decline renewal include: nonpayment of rent that is lawful and reasonable; a substantial lease violation that the tenant fails to cure; nuisance or illegal use of the premises; the landlord’s good-faith intent to occupy the unit as a personal residence for themselves or immediate family; and withdrawal of the unit from the rental market (demolition or removal). A landlord must plead and prove the applicable ground in the petition.
No ETPA / Rent Stabilization. Beacon has not adopted the Emergency Tenant Protection Act, so there is no local rent-stabilization board, no rent registry, and no rent rollback (this distinguishes Beacon from Kingston, which adopted the ETPA). Good Cause Eviction is the operative tenant-protection regime in Beacon.
A Strong, High-Cost Market. Beacon’s gentrified, arts-driven, NYC-commuter market keeps demand high, vacancy low, and property values appreciating — a meaningful upside for owners even within a regulated framework. But the same dynamics that drove rents up are exactly why the city adopted Good Cause, so landlords should plan around its limits rather than against them.
Older Housing Stock & Lead Paint. Much of Beacon’s housing predates 1978 (and a large share predates 1940), so federal lead-paint disclosure is mandatory and the warranty of habitability (RPL § 235-b) is a live issue — especially relevant because habitability failures can both create defenses and undercut a landlord’s position in a good-cause proceeding.
City Court & the 9th Judicial District. Evictions for rental premises inside the City of Beacon are filed at Beacon City Court. For covered units, the petition must plead a good-cause ground. After judgment, the Dutchess County Sheriff executes the warrant of eviction.
Source-of-Income Protection. Source-of-income discrimination is prohibited under the New York State Human Rights Law. Denying an applicant because they intend to pay with a Housing Choice Voucher or other lawful source of income is illegal — landlords must evaluate ability to pay without regard to the source.
Free Legal Help. The City of Beacon contracts with Legal Services of the Hudson Valley to assist Beacon tenants facing eviction, and the Ninth Judicial District Court Help Center offers procedural guidance for unrepresented parties. The Dutchess County Department of Community and Family Services administers emergency-housing and eviction-prevention assistance.
Security Deposits. New York State law (HSTPA 2019, General Obligations Law § 7-108) governs all deposit handling. Maximum deposit is one month’s rent. It must be returned within 14 days of move-out with an itemized statement of deductions. Application fees are capped at $20 total. Late fees are capped at the lesser of $50 or 5 percent of monthly rent, with a 5-day grace period.
Beacon City Court — Where Beacon Landlords File
Beacon landlords file summary proceedings (nonpayment petitions and holdover petitions) at Beacon City Court, located at One Municipal Plaza, Suite 2, Beacon, NY 12508. General phone: 845-431-1900. The court sits in the Ninth Judicial District (Dutchess County); the City Court judges are the Hon. Gregory J. Johnston and the Hon. Rebecca S. Mensch. The filing fee for a summary proceeding is approximately $45. After judgment, the Dutchess County Sheriff executes the warrant of eviction and must give the tenant 14 days’ written notice before physical removal (RPAPL § 749). The decisive difference from most New York cities: for a covered unit, the landlord must plead and prove a “good cause” ground — a holdover based only on an expired lease will be dismissed — and a nonpayment case must rest on a rent that is not presumptively unreasonable. Because of that added burden, contested good-cause cases tend to run longer than ordinary holdovers. Self-help eviction is a criminal misdemeanor under RPAPL § 768, and only the Dutchess County Sheriff is authorized to physically remove a tenant.
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