How much can my landlord raise my rent?
In NYC the answer comes down to one thing: is your apartment rent-stabilized? If it is, your increase is capped every year (and frozen at 0% on leases starting Oct 1, 2026). If it isn’t, there’s no cap — but Good Cause Eviction may still limit it.
Start by checking your building:
If your apartment is rent-stabilized
The Rent Guidelines Board sets the maximum increase every year. It applies to your renewal by the date your lease starts:
| Lease starts | One-year lease | Two-year lease |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 1, 2025 – Sep 30, 2026 | 3% | 4.5% |
| Oct 1, 2026 – Sep 30, 2027 (rent freeze) | 0% | 0% |
Source: NYC Rent Guidelines Board Orders #57 and #58. The freeze covers renewal and new leases on stabilized units in that window.
If your apartment is market-rate
There’s no Rent Guidelines Board cap. But under New York’s Good Cause Eviction law, an increase above the lower of CPI+5% or 10% is presumed unreasonable and gives you grounds to challenge it in housing court. It’s a defense, not an automatic cap — and it doesn’t apply if your apartment or landlord is exempt (newer buildings, condos/co-ops, small landlords with 10 or fewer units statewide, and high-rent units).
Not sure which one you are?
That’s the whole question. Check your building for registered stabilized units, and confirm your own apartment with your official rent history — it’s free from NY State and reveals overcharges too.
Frequently asked questions
- How much can my landlord raise my rent in NYC in 2026?
- It depends on whether your apartment is rent-stabilized. If it is, the Rent Guidelines Board caps the increase: leases starting Oct 1, 2025–Sep 30, 2026 are capped at 3% (one-year) or 4.5% (two-year), and leases starting Oct 1, 2026–Sep 30, 2027 are frozen at 0%. If your apartment is market-rate, there is no RGB cap, but the state’s Good Cause Eviction law may give you grounds to challenge an increase above the lower of CPI+5% or 10%.
- Is there a legal limit on rent increases for market-rate apartments?
- Not a hard cap. Under New York’s Good Cause Eviction law (2024), an increase above the lower of CPI+5% or 10% is presumed "unreasonable" and gives you a defense in housing court — but the landlord can rebut it (for example, by showing increased costs), and many apartments are exempt: buildings with a certificate of occupancy after Jan 1, 2009 (for 30 years), condos and co-ops, owner-occupied small buildings, apartments of small landlords (10 or fewer units statewide), and high-rent units.
- What is the 2026 NYC rent freeze?
- The Rent Guidelines Board voted a 0% increase for rent-stabilized leases that start between Oct 1, 2026 and Sep 30, 2027 — the first freeze to cover both one- and two-year leases. It only affects rent-stabilized apartments, not market-rate ones, and it does not apply to leases that start before Oct 1, 2026 (those are capped at 3% / 4.5%).
- How do I know if I’m rent-stabilized?
- Look up your building — we show how many units are registered as rent-stabilized — and, to be certain, request your apartment’s official rent history free from NY State (HCR). Buildings are usually stabilized if they have 6+ units and were built before 1974, or receive a 421-a or J-51 tax break.
Last updated July 2026 — reflects RGB Orders #57 and #58 and the June 25, 2026 vote. General information, not legal advice; whether your apartment is stabilized or Good-Cause-covered depends on its specifics.