The City Council of New Rochelle voted on Oct. 21 to adopt Local Law Intro No. 6, a local "good cause" eviction law. The measure passed on a roll-call vote after public and council debate that focused on whether the law removes protections for small landlords and how the city will pair tenant protections with programs to support rehabilitation of multifamily properties.

Councilmember Albert Tarantino opposed the measure, raising concerns that the law removes a small‑landlord exemption and could place “tremendous pressure on a small landlord,” describing homeowners who rent out one or two nearby properties as often relying on that rental income for retirement. Supporters said the law fills gaps in tenant protections and will be paired with a city program to assist small multifamily owners in rehabilitating occupied units.

Councilmember Stern emphasized the law’s reach and intent: “I don’t wanna lose sight of the 10,000 plus units that are gonna be affected by this in a positive way,” Stern said, arguing the measure helps renters who are not otherwise protected by state law and that reasonable rent‑increase caps remain for property owners.

During the debate, staff and councilmembers described parallel work to establish a multifamily residential rehabilitation program, funded in part by HOME program dollars from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and the city’s affordable housing fund. City staff said they expect to have a program framework early next year and to begin outreach and prioritization in 2026, subject to securing funding.

Roll-call on adoption (item 15) was recorded as follows: Councilmember Lopez — Yes; Councilmember Tarantino — No; Councilmember Peters — Yes; Councilmember Austin Weillier — Yes; Councilmember Kaye — Yes; Councilmember Stern — Yes; Mayor Ramos Herbert — Yes. Staff announced the city is among the earlier adopters in the state.

The council did not adopt further programmatic funding at the Oct. 21 meeting; staff said they will return with program design and funding sources for the multifamily rehab initiative in the months ahead.