Is my apartment rent-stabilized?
If it is, you have rights most renters don’t — capped increases, lease-renewal rights, and eviction protections — and under the 2026 rent freeze, your rent may not go up at all. Here’s how to check your building, whether the freeze applies to you, and how to catch an overcharge.
Quick self-check: your apartment is usually rent-stabilized if your building has 6+ units and was built before 1974, or gets a 421-a or J-51 tax break. Not a guarantee — confirm it below.
Start with your building:
Free · see stabilized unit counts, violations, and your building’s grade.
The 2026 rent freeze — does it apply to you?
On June 25, 2026 the Rent Guidelines Board voted a 0% increase — a rent freeze — for rent-stabilized leases that start between Oct 1, 2026 and Sep 30, 2027. It’s the first freeze to cover both one- and two-year leases (earlier one-year freezes: 2015, 2016, 2020), and it applies to renewal and new leases on stabilized units.
Two catches: leases that start before Oct 1, 2026 are still under last year’s rates (3% for one year, 4.5% for two), and the freeze does nothing for market-rate apartments. So the question everyone’s asking — “how much can my landlord raise my rent?” — comes down to one thing first: is your unit stabilized?
How to check if you’re rent-stabilized
- 1Look up your building
Search your address on OpenStoop. We show how many units in your building are registered as rent-stabilized (from city tax records). If the count is above zero, your apartment may be one of them.
- 2Get your official rent history (the definitive answer)
Building data tells you about the building; only your apartment’s rent history confirms yourunit. Request it free from NY State’s rent agency (HCR): use the official portal or email RentInfo@hcr.ny.gov with your address and apartment number. It lists every rent legally registered since 1984.
Your rights if you’re stabilized
- Capped increases
Your rent can only rise by the percentage the Rent Guidelines Board sets each year — 0% on stabilized leases starting Oct 1, 2026–Sep 30, 2027.
- Renewal rights
Your landlord must offer you a renewal lease and can’t refuse just to push you out — with narrow exceptions (e.g. it’s not your primary residence, or the owner claims it for personal use, via an HCR/court process).
- Eviction protection
You can only be evicted for specific legal reasons — not on a whim or to re-rent at a higher price.
Am I being overcharged?
Overcharges happen — and when proven, they must be refunded. Your rent history shows every rent the owner has registered for your apartment (owner-reported — which is exactly why you check the math). If the increases don’t add up, you can file an overcharge complaint with the state’s Office of Rent Administration. Recovery generally covers up to six years back, plus up to triple damages if the overcharge was willful. It costs nothing to check.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I know if my apartment is rent-stabilized in NYC?
- There’s no single public list of stabilized apartments, but you can check two things: (1) whether your building registers stabilized units with the state (search your address on OpenStoop — we show the count), and (2) your apartment’s official rent history from NY State (HCR), which is the definitive record. Buildings are usually stabilized because of their size and age (6+ units, built before 1974) or a tax break like 421-a or J-51.
- Does the 2026 NYC rent freeze apply to me?
- The Rent Guidelines Board voted a 0% increase (a "rent freeze") for rent-stabilized leases that start between October 1, 2026 and September 30, 2027 — covering both renewal and new leases on stabilized units. Two catches: it only helps rent-stabilized apartments (not market-rate), and leases that start before October 1, 2026 are still under last year’s rates (3% for a one-year lease, 4.5% for two years). So the first question is always: is your unit stabilized?
- How much can my landlord raise my rent in NYC?
- It depends entirely on whether your apartment is stabilized. If it is, increases are capped each year by the Rent Guidelines Board — 0% for stabilized leases starting Oct 1, 2026–Sep 30, 2027, and 3% (one-year) / 4.5% (two-year) for leases that started before that. If it isn’t stabilized, the state’s Good Cause Eviction law may give you grounds to challenge an increase above the lower of CPI+5% or 10% in housing court (it’s a court defense, not an automatic cap) — unless your apartment or landlord is exempt (for example newer buildings, condos/co-ops, or small landlords with 10 or fewer units statewide).
- How do I get my rent history, and what does it show?
- Request it free from NY State’s rent agency (HCR), as the tenant, using the online portal (portal.hcr.ny.gov/app/ask) or by emailing RentInfo@hcr.ny.gov with your address and apartment number. HCR mails it to your apartment, usually within a few weeks. It lists every rent the owner has registered for your apartment since 1984 — the numbers are owner-reported, which is exactly why checking them can reveal an overcharge. Beware of any third party charging for this; it’s free.
- What can I do if I’m being overcharged?
- Overcharges happen, and when proven they must be refunded. Once you have your rent history, compare the registered increases to what’s legally allowed and, if there’s a discrepancy, file an overcharge complaint with the Office of Rent Administration (ORA). Recovery generally covers up to six years before you file, plus up to triple damages if the overcharge was willful.
Last updated July 2026 — reflects the June 25, 2026 Rent Guidelines Board vote (Order #58). This is general information, not legal advice. Whether your specific apartment is rent-stabilized depends on its own history; your rent history from HCR is the definitive record. Rent-stabilized unit counts are building-level, derived from NYC Department of Finance property-tax bills.