Landlords and realtors sent a clear message to the Syracuse Common Council at a Thursday public hearing on “good cause” eviction protections: opt into a local version of the eviction protections bill and they will take their business to the suburbs and other cities.The council hosted the hearing Thursday afternoon to garner feedback from local property owners on the bill, which housing advocates say could help curb sharp increases in rent and rising numbers of evictions. Thursday marked the second hearing in two months, with another scheduled before the end of the year that will feature public input from tenants rights advocates. The bill was included in the state budget in April after first being proposed five years ago, and it allows municipalities to opt in. Under the bill, tenants:Could challenge evictions filed in court for reasons not stated in the lease agreement. Could contest at eviction hearings rent increases above 10% of the yearly rent or 5% plus the rate of inflation, whichever is lower. Would be allowed to renew their lease automatically if they are caught up on rent and have abided by the terms of their lease.Several property owners and realtors told the council “good cause,” which allows renters to challenge undue rent hikes in court during an eviction hearing, places an untenable burden on landlords’ business. They argued that this tenet of the bill, alongside another statute that grants tenants a right to renew their lease, could disincentivize development and investment in city neighborhoods.“It could disincentivize developers looking to build apartments in our region,” said Donald Radke, a Fayetteville realtor and a member of the State’s Association of Realtors. “… they’re going to go to the suburbs.” As Syracuse lawmakers consider ‘good cause’ protections, auditor weighs in to support protections with data Tenants rights advocates who have long-heralded “good cause” as a tool that could help tenants avoid displacement — a key driver of the city’s housing crisis — think landlords are bluffing. Advocates said “good cause” shouldn’t disrupt the business of responsible property owners.“We’ve heard that many times before,” said City Auditor Alex Marion. Marion has been an advocate of opting into “good cause” and recently released a lengthy report about the bill’s utility and how it fits in Syracuse. “They are going to continue to find ways to successfully operate their businesses, which, by their own admission, have been successfully operating to fairly substantial profits for many years.”Some landlords’ main argument against the bill is that it would regulate their business and their autonomy to manage their property. Jonathan Geller, who owns 99 housing units across several properties in Onondaga County, said the bill would drive him to sell his entire portfolio.“At the end of the day, sometimes you have to sit back and take a look and see if my equity is better served with it being invested somewhere in another area,” he said. “If I am starting to lose control of the business that I own, that is not favorable. I am the one who deals with the struggles and the pressures, and the problems.”Landlords and realtors said the costs of doing business are too high. Allowing tenants to challenge rent hikes would get in the way of potentially making repairs and improvements to the property, the landlords said. Geller spends $450 on every apartment he owns on Polk Street, he said. Last year, he had 41-tenancies that lasted 12 months. He owns 81 units.   As Syracuse lawmakers consider ‘good cause’ protections, auditor weighs in to support protections with data by Eddie Velazquez October 15, 2024 Syracuse lawmakers take first public step toward learning about ‘good cause’ eviction protections by Eddie Velazquez and Patrick McCarthy September 13, 2024 Why it will likely take months for the Syracuse Common Council to vote on ‘good cause’ eviction legislation by Eddie Velazquez August 12, 2024 Syracuse Common Council to begin deliberations on ‘good cause’ tenant protections by Eddie Velazquez and Chris Libonati August 7, 2024 Syracuse residents largely agree with proposed housing strategy but want more for tenants by Eddie Velazquez and Anais Mejia July 30, 2024 As Syracuse’s elected officials go mum on ‘good cause’ opt-in, advocates assemble coalition by Chris Libonati and Anais Mejia July 25, 2024 “The greater the number of the turns, the more the expenses accumulate,” he said. “We have to try and find a way to keep our profits coming so that we can afford to sustain and run our properties.”Those profits, Radke said, will be vital as the city pursues its housing strategy. The housing strategy is a $25 million plan that will use the funds to provide homeowners in the Tipperary Hill and Salt Springs neighborhoods, considered middle-income neighborhoods by the city, with grants and loans for housing improvements. In future phases, other neighborhoods would also see investment.The city plans for the work in Tipp Hill and Salt Springs to take about 10 years. “We need private investments,” Radke said. “We need individuals to come into our neighborhoods … and fix them up and live there and become productive citizens.”Jocelyn Richards, a member of the Syracuse Tenants Union, said the bill would still allow for rent increases beyond the 10% threshold, as long as landlords can justify their investments to a judge in court.Richards will likely be a part of the next public hearing. She said she is looking to continue to inform members of the council and landlords about the bill’s effectiveness at keeping tenants in their homes. Richards will also stress that “good cause” is a tool to address issues of eviction, rather than a panacea for the housing crisis, she said. “The general consensus we saw today centered around how the bill does not create new housing,” she said. “It’s intended to keep people housed. We recognize it won’t do everything.”The post Realtors and landlords tell Syracuse lawmakers: Pass ‘good cause’ and we’ll take business elsewhere appeared first on Central Current.