In a raucous auditorium flooded with bright red “Freeze the Rent!” posters and tenants chanting, the Rent Guidelines Board approved a signature campaign promise of Mayor Zohran Mamdani: 0% rent increases on one- and two-year rent-stabilized leases.
The 7-1 vote on Thursday night was met with deafening cheering as the mayor’s six appointees to the board voting unanimously for the rent freeze.
It’s a huge difference-maker for tenants in 1 million stabilized apartments, some of whom planned their apartment leases around the Mamdani administration, waiting for this moment.
One was Stephen White, who has been living in his Crown Heights apartment since 2002. He bet on Mamdani’s promise of a rent freeze last year, signing only a one-year lease, with a 3% increase then — instead of a two-year option with a 4.5% increase — because he guessed the rent board would deliver a freeze come 2026.
He was right. And now, he plans to sign a two-year lease this October with a 0% increase. He’s happy for his bottom line — and for what it means politically.
“The idea that this agenda, that was thought to be unattainable, has been achieved immediately from the onset is really inspiring,” he said.
When it comes to his rent, White’s been betting on mayors for decades, and he has a spreadsheet to prove it. He says by planning his lease renewals based on how he thinks the rent board will vote under each mayor, he saved $6,000 over 25 years, he told The City Reporter.
But not all of us are as savvy. After the rent freeze vote, you might be wondering — how does this rent freeze actually work? And how will it affect my next lease? Here’s a guide to help renters out:
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What does a rent freeze mean?What is rent stabilization?I don’t know if my apartment is rent-stabilized. How can I find out?OK, we have a rent freeze! Does that mean my next lease will be the same price?What if my lease starts before October? Do I get any kind of rent freeze?What do I do if my landlord hikes my rent anyway?I have a traditional, market-rate lease. Will the rent freeze affect my rent price?
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What does a rent freeze mean?
If your apartment is rent stabilized — more on that below — the amount your rent can go up every time you renew your lease is determined by the Rent Guidelines Board, which takes an annual vote on one- and two-year lease increases. The board consists of nine members, all appointed by the mayor, serving staggered two- and four-year terms. Two represent tenant interests, two represent landlord interests, and five members represent the general public.
The new rent freeze means that the board has voted to approve a 0% increase in one- or two-year leases for rent-stabilized apartments, meaning your landlord legally cannot raise your rent at all.
What is rent stabilization?
Rent stabilization is a decades-old policy in New York City that significantly regulates the level of rent for about 1 million apartments here. Those levels are set by the Rent Guidelines Board, which you can read more about here.
Rent that’s stabilized should not be confused with rent control, a set of 1940s-era regulations that affect a specific, older set of buildings in the city. Rent-controlled apartments are extremely rare and their numbers are shrinking all the time. But rent-stabilized apartments are quite common. In fact, they are nearly as plentiful as market-rate units.
I don’t know if my apartment is rent-stabilized. How can I find out?
The most direct way to find out if your apartment is rent-stabilized is to request your rent history, a state record that can be obtained only by the current renter of a given unit. You can get your apartment’s rental history from the state Division of Housing and Community Renewal. Click on their online portal, fill out the requested information, and choose “Apartment Rent History” in the “Reason” field.
Keep in mind: Many apartments or buildings in New York may have rent-regulated status that tenants may not be aware of — including newer buildings with certain tax breaks, or older buildings with newer tenants. Watchdogs and journalists have blown the whistle on those instances many times, including in this 2015 ProPublica series and in The City Reporter’s previous coverage.
OK, we have a rent freeze! Does that mean my next lease will be the same price?
It depends. The freeze goes into effect for leases beginning on or after October 1, so if you’re currently shopping for stabilized apartments, keep that in mind. But if you’re renewing your lease between Oct. 1, 2026 and Sept. 31, 2027, your rent will remain the same price.
What if my lease starts before October? Do I get any kind of rent freeze?
No. If your lease starts before October, this year’s rent freeze isn’t applicable to you. For leases signed between now and the end of September, the legally allowable rent increase — set by the Rent Guidelines Board in 2025 — is 3% for one-year leases and 4.5% for two year leases.
Not finding the right answer here? Contact our newsroom at [email protected].
What do I do if my landlord hikes my rent anyway?
If you live in a rent-stabilized apartment, but your landlord isn’t honoring the rent freeze you’re entitled to, you have options. Andrea Shapiro, director of program and advocacy at the Met Council on Housing, said this is called an overcharge — and tenants can get triple the damages if they pursue payback in court, as ensured in the 2019 expansion of the Emergency Tenant Protection Act of 1974.
If you believe you’re being overcharged, you can file a complaint with the state Division of Housing and Community Renewal, or HCR. However, as The City Reporter has covered before, that agency doesn’t have enough staff to pursue overcharge cases and some tenants wait months or years to see any action.
If you’re looking to pursue legal action against your landlord, you can take your landlord to Housing Court or to state Supreme Court depending on the case, Shapiro added.
The latter two routes will require you to lawyer up, Shapiro said, especially if you are withholding rent. Not sure where to start? Here’s our guide to how Housing Court works.
I have a traditional, market-rate lease. Will the rent freeze affect my rent price?
No, you won’t see a rent freeze — unless your landlord is really nice. Thursday’s big vote from the Rent Guidelines Board pertains only to rent-stabilized apartments. However, there are legal limits on rent hikes on many market-rate apartments through “good cause” eviction laws.
Also something to keep in mind: When City Councilman Chi Ossé passed the FARE Act, eliminating broker’s fees for tenants who didn’t hire them, market-rate rents increased an estimated 1.1%, according to data from StreetEasy. The same might be true with a coming rent freeze, especially for tenants of mixed-unit buildings — where some apartments are stabilized and others are not — because landlords looking to cut their losses charge more to the tenants who hold non-stabilized leases.
Not finding the right answer here? Contact our newsroom at [email protected].
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The post How the Rent Freeze Will Work for Your Next Lease: A Guide for Tenants appeared first on The City Reporter.
