Middletown introduces ‘‘good cause’’ eviction local law after public hearing; council to vote June 17

Mayor DeStefano and the Middletown Common Council opened a public hearing June 3 on a proposed local law to adopt "good cause" eviction protections, and the council introduced the measure as Local Law No. 2 of 2025. The mayor said he supports the city moving forward and urged the council to balance tenant protections with landlord rights. The council set a vote for its next meeting on June 17; if approved the law will require an additional public hearing before the mayor signs it and will take effect when filed with the New York State Secretary of State.

The proposal would prevent landlords from removing tenants without a court-recognized reason ("good cause") and would limit allowable rent increases to a state-set formula rather than instituting rent control, Mayor DeStefano said. "This is not rent control," the mayor said, adding that the allowable increase is set by New York state and that the law includes exemptions for owner-occupied buildings and other specified circumstances. He summarized the city's intent as creating housing stability while preserving landlords' ability to recoup qualifying capital expenditures.

The public hearing drew tenant advocates, legal services attorneys and residents who urged rapid adoption. Vanessa Sid, an organizer with For the Many and a lifelong Middletown resident, said, "I'm thrilled to see that our community's voices have been heard," and urged the council to pass the measure soon. Bravin Ranga, political director with For the Many, described the draft as "a strong version of good cause eviction" modeled on measures passed in nearby cities and said it includes a portfolio-size exemption aimed at closing LLC loopholes. Ben Surface, supervising attorney at the Hudson Valley Justice Center, said the draft "strikes a balance" between tenant stability and property rights and praised the council's engagement with stakeholders.

City officials described several procedural and legal clarifications discussed during drafting. The mayor said the ordinance contains an owner-occupancy waiver for small landlords ("up to 10 units" in the draft) and that the allowable annual rent increase would follow a New York State formula (the mayor said he believed it to be "up to 5%" but did not cite statutory text). He said judges he consulted — referenced as Judge Brockett and Judge Keaton in remarks — told him they would monitor eviction calendars to avoid undue delays in cases where landlords have lawful grounds for removal. Legal service providers at the hearing advised landlords to be represented in court when bringing eviction proceedings to avoid procedural dismissals.

Several residents and advocates described displacement and steep rent increases in recent years. James Ruiz and Jairo Perez, two local residents and community organizers, urged the council to adopt the law to protect long-term Middletown households and limit abrupt displacement. A property owner, Lisa Dibble, said she supports timely eviction processing for landlords with legitimate causes, noting she is experiencing an ongoing eviction that has been pending since December.

The council's clerk explained the adoption process: the measure was introduced June 3 (this meeting) and will be moved to a vote at the June 17 council meeting. If adopted by the council, the city code requires an additional public hearing before the mayor signs the local law; that hearing was scheduled for July 1 in the meeting remarks. The clerk said the law becomes effective once the Secretary of State files the local law.

Votes at a glance (resolutions adopted June 3, 2025) - Resolution authorizing the Police Department to accept grant funding for a statewide targeted reduction in intimate partner violence initiatives; sponsor: Alderman Massey; outcome: carried (roll call: Tobin, Jean Francois, Johnson, Ray, Kleiner, Green, Witt, Massey, President Rodriguez — all Aye). - Resolution authorizing a budget transfer within the Golden Area Transportation Line for a new senior bus; sponsor: Alderman Witt; outcome: carried (unanimous Aye). - Resolution authorizing a block party on Lenox Avenue and Cantrell Avenue for 06/15/2025; sponsor: Alderman Green; outcome: carried (unanimous Aye). - Resolution confirming Mayor's reappointment of Richard McCormick as city clerk; sponsor: Alderman Kleiner; outcome: carried (unanimous Aye). - Resolution authorizing a $40,000 DPW overtime budget transfer; sponsor: Alderman Ray; outcome: carried (unanimous Aye). - Resolution awarding bids for surplus vehicles through Auctions International; sponsor: Alderman Johnson; outcome: carried (unanimous Aye). - Resolution authorizing temporary borrowing for senior center renovation and camera installation projects under the CREST grant; sponsor: Alderman Jean Francois; outcome: carried (unanimous Aye). - Resolution approving Orange and Rockland's proposal and payment for power line relocation related to the city parking garage project (estimated in remarks at about $126,000); sponsor: Alderman Tobin; outcome: carried (unanimous Aye).

What happens next The council will consider adoption of Local Law No. 2 of 2025 at its June 17 meeting. If adopted, city code requires another public hearing before the mayor can sign the measure; the clerk noted that hearing would be scheduled on July 1. Any change to enforcement, exemptions, or the effective date would need to be in the final text the council votes on June 17.

Sources and limits This article is based on speaker remarks and the June 3 public hearing and roll-call votes recorded during the Common Council meeting. Where participants referenced state law or a state-set formula for allowable increases, the meeting transcript referred to "state law" or a state formula but did not cite a specific statute number; the article therefore describes those elements as stated by speakers rather than as independently verified statutory text.