Good Cause Fuels Landlord Consolidation

New York’s Good Cause Eviction caps rent hikes and tightly limits lease non‑renewals, which raises legal costs and lowers returns for small landlords. Cities narrowing exemptions (Rochester covers ~98% of rentals) make exits likelier, pushing sales to large, often out‑of‑town investors and discouraging upkeep in older housing stock. The resulting ownership concentration can coincide with lower quality and rising blight in regulated neighborhoods. — It suggests well‑intended tenant protections can backfire by shrinking supply and concentrating power in big landlords, reshaping class dynamics and urban decline risks.