New York City is experiencing a surge in evictions, reaching levels not seen since before the pandemic. According to data from the Department of Investigations cited by Gothamist, city marshals have carried out over 11,200 household removals so far this year, averaging about 1,500 each month. This marks the highest rate since 2018, when monthly evictions peaked at approximately 1,666.
There are around 2.2 million rental units across New York City. The increase in evictions coincides with housing courts working through a backlog of cases that accumulated during the pandemic-era moratorium on evictions, which ended in 2022.
Ann Korchak of Small Property Owners of New York stated that eviction is “a last resort,” but argued it is sometimes necessary for building owners to maintain solvency.
The rise in eviction activity has also led to increased earnings for city marshals. Last year, 29 officers collectively earned nearly $20.5 million from their work enforcing court orders — an increase from $14 million in 2019.
Since 2021, landlords have filed close to half a million eviction cases throughout the city. The Bronx has seen the largest proportion of these filings; more than nine percent of its households received court notices last year. However, less than ten percent of these filings result in formal eviction orders and many cases can take months or years to resolve.
Despite this year’s uptick in actual evictions, new filings have slowed somewhat: landlords initiated about 9,500 cases per month so far in 2025 compared with about 10,500 during the same period last year.
Legal protections such as New York City’s right-to-counsel program have helped mitigate some effects for tenants. However, access remains inconsistent; some households narrowly miss income eligibility requirements while others who qualify cannot secure timely assistance.
“One financial shock can be the precipitating factor for an eviction case,” Peter Hepburn of Princeton’s Eviction Lab told Gothamist.
The Robin Hood Foundation reported recently that one quarter of low-income residents struggle to consistently pay rent and could face eviction after a single unexpected expense. Housing advocates emphasize that rising evictions impact not only families but also disrupt schools, workplaces and neighborhoods throughout the city.
