New York rents: how to know if an apartment has rent stabilization and how much they can increase, according to the Rent Guidelines Board

Some rents in New York City are regulated by the Rent Stabilization System, which sets how much the price can increase when the lease is renewed. The goal is to keep housing more affordable and provide greater protection for tenants.

Another portion of the rentals is regulated by Rent Control, a older system that applies to a much smaller number of apartments and protects tenants who have lived in the same building for many years. The rest are market rents, which are not subject to the increase limits set by these systems.

What are the characteristics of a rent-stabilized property?

Rent-stabilized properties are subject to rules that limit how much the rent can increase and offer greater protection to tenants.

Among its main characteristics are:

• They are usually located in buildings with six or more units built before 1974.
• They may include newer housing units brought into the system through certain tax benefits or housing programs.
• Not all apartments in the same building necessarily have rent stabilization.
• The owner must register the stabilized units with the State of New York.
• The tenant may request the rental history of the home to verify whether it is covered by this regime.
• Rent increases are subject to official limits.
• The tenant has greater protections to renew the lease.

How can you identify a rent-stabilized apartment?

To know whether it is a rent-stabilized apartment, you can check the lease, since it should indicate whether the home is subject to this regulation.

In addition:

• The tenant may receive a specific addendum with information about their rights and the legal rent of the apartment.
• The tenant may request the rental history of the home to check whether it appears within the system.

The safest way to verify it is to consult the apartment’s official history with the State of New York, since not all properties that meet the general characteristics are necessarily stabilized.

The rights protected by rent stabilization: what are they?

One of the main rights is the possibility of renewing the lease. In general, the owner must offer the tenant a renewal for one or two years, at the occupant’s choice, and maintain the same basic conditions of the previous lease.

In addition, the following rights must also be respected:

• That rent increases respect the limits imposed by the Rent Guidelines Board.
• To complain if they believe they are paying rent higher than allowed.
• To request a rent reduction if the owner does not provide essential services, such as heating, water, gas, security, or necessary repairs.
• To maintain, under certain conditions, a preferential rent if they were already paying an amount lower than the legal rent.
• To allow certain family members who lived in the home to continue with the lease through succession rights.

How much can rent-stabilized rents increase?

The permitted increase percentage depends on the date the lease begins or is renewed. For those that began or were renewed between October 1, 2025 and September 30, 2026, the permitted increases were 3% for one-year leases and 4.5% for two-year leases.

Leases that begin or are renewed between October 1, 2026 and September 30, 2027 are allowed a 0% increase for both types of lease, which means that rent stabilization cannot increase through an ordinary renewal during this period.

This does not mean a freeze on all New York rents, but rather that it applies specifically to lease agreements for rent-stabilized housing that begin or are renewed within those dates.