Rochester Landlord-Tenant Rules

Just-cause eviction: Rochester has opted into New York's Good Cause Eviction Law, so most tenants can be evicted or refused a renewal only for a good cause listed in state law, and a rent increase above the 'local rent standard' is presumed unreasonable. Rochester's local law uses the default exemption for high-rent units: units renting for more than 245% of Monroe County fair market rent are not covered. For 2026 that is $2,734 for a studio, $3,077 for one bedroom, $3,854 for two bedrooms, $4,643 for three bedrooms and $5,103 for four bedrooms. Rochester defines an exempt small landlord as one who owns no more than one unit anywhere in New York State. The state housing agency published a 3.15% consumer price index change (2024 to 2025) for Monroe County, which under the state formula (CPI plus 5%, never more than 10%) makes the presumed-reasonable increase limit 8.15%.; Rent stabilization: Rochester does not have rent stabilization under the state Emergency Tenant Protection Act (ETPA). The City's 2021 rental vacancy study estimated a 9.0% net vacancy rate among eligible buildings (six or more units built before 1974), above the 5% ceiling ETPA requires before a city can declare a housing emergency.; Required notices/registration: Rental properties in Rochester need a renewable Certificate of Occupancy (C of O), issued after a City property maintenance inspection. Not owner-occupied one- or two-family rentals renew every 6 years, or every 3 years if the property is in the City's Lead Paint High-Risk Area or deteriorated paint is found inside. Mixed-use buildings with one or more homes and apartment buildings with three or more units renew every 3 years. Owner-occupied one- and two-family homes are exempt, and homes occupied by the owner's spouse, child, parent or sibling can apply for a 3-year exemption. Under the City's lead law, deteriorated paint in pre-1980 rentals must be covered and repaired with lead-safe work practices, and units in the high-risk area need a dust-wipe test. State Public Health Law 1377 (effective November 3, 2025) adds requirements for pre-1980 rentals inside the high-risk area, and owners may have to complete inspections by October 1, 2026.; Habitability/code enforcement & complaint line: City Code Enforcement Officers inspect on complaints, neighborhood surveys, referrals and C of O applications. If violations are found, the owner gets a Notice and Order to fix them by a deadline. Owners who do not comply can be ticketed, with initial fines of $50 to $150 per violation that double and triple on later tickets, or taken to City Court or State Supreme Court. Units posing an immediate hazard can be vacated.