How much can you raise rent in NYC in 2026?

jacob-thomason Updated on October 27, 2026 9574 views 8

How much you can raise rent in NYC depends on how the apartment is classified. Rent-stabilized, rent-controlled, and unregulated (market-rate) apartments each follow different rules, so landlords first need to know which category a unit falls into before planning an increase or a lease renewal.

The NYC Rent Guidelines Board adopted a 0% guideline increase for rent-stabilized leases starting or renewing between October 1, 2026, and September 30, 2027. This guide explains the rent cap for each apartment type, the Good Cause limit for market-rate apartments, and the notice landlords must give.

Key Takeaways

• Rent-stabilized leases starting or renewing from October 1, 2026, through September 30, 2027, have a 0% guideline increase.
• Eligible tenants generally have renewal rights and additional protections against deregulation.
• Rent-controlled apartments follow a separate Maximum Base Rent system.
• For market-rate apartments covered by the Good Cause Eviction Law, an increase above the 8.38% local rent standard is presumed unreasonable.
• Rent increases of 5% or more generally require 30, 60, or 90 days’ written notice.
• Tenants can request rent records and challenge potential overcharges through HCR.

How Much Can You Raise Rent in NYC?

There’s no single rent increase limit for all apartments. The amount you can raise rent depends on whether the apartment is:

• Rent stabilized (almost 1 million apartments in the five boroughs): generally apartments in buildings with six or more units built before January 1, 1974. Increases on lease renewals are set each year by the NYC Rent Guidelines Board for leases starting October 1 through September 30 of the following year. The guideline for leases starting or renewing from October 1, 2026, through September 30, 2027, is 0%.
• Rent controlled (almost 24,000 apartments in the five boroughs): apartments in buildings built before February 1947 where the tenant or a qualifying successor has lived continuously since before July 1, 1971. Increases follow the Maximum Base Rent (MBR) system run by New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR), which is adjusted every two years.
• Unregulated or market rate: apartments not subject to rent regulation. The rent generally changes when a lease expires, and no statutory percentage cap applies, but many of these apartments are covered by the Good Cause Eviction Law, and an increase of 5% or more requires advance written notice.

What Is the Rent Cap in NYC?

NYC has no single rent cap that covers every apartment. Fixed limits apply to regulated apartments, and the Good Cause Eviction Law sets a reasonableness threshold for many market-rate apartments:

• Rent-stabilized apartments: the Rent Guidelines Board guideline, which is 0% for leases starting or renewing from October 1, 2026, through September 30, 2027.
• Rent-controlled apartments: the Maximum Base Rent. Each increase is limited to the lower of 7.5% or the average of the five most recent Rent Guidelines Board annual rent increases, and the rent can’t go above the MBR.
• Market-rate apartments covered by Good Cause: an increase above the local rent standard, currently 8.38%, is presumed unreasonable. The standard is 5% plus the annual change in the Consumer Price Index, and never more than 10%.
• Other market-rate apartments: no percentage cap, though the notice rules below still apply.

For comparison, earlier Rent Guidelines Board increases for rent-stabilized leases were:

• October 1, 2024, to September 30, 2025: 2.75% for a one-year lease and 5.25% for a two-year lease
• October 1, 2023, to September 30, 2024: 3% for a one-year lease; for a two-year lease, 2.75% in the first year and 3.2% in the second year

What Are the Rent Stabilization Rules in NYC?

Rent stabilization protects tenants in certain apartments from unrestricted rent changes and gives them rights that don’t apply to ordinary market-rate rentals. The New York Attorney General’s Residential Tenants’ Rights Guide summarizes these rules.

It generally covers apartments in buildings with six or more units built before January 1, 1974, along with certain apartments receiving qualifying tax benefits. Some formerly rent-controlled apartments can also become rent stabilized after a vacancy.

One important protection is the Right to a Renewal Lease. A stabilized tenant generally chooses between a 1-year or 2-year renewal, and the renewal must keep the same terms and conditions as the previous lease unless a change is required by law or regulation. In NYC, landlords generally send the renewal offer between 90 and 150 days before the existing lease expires.

Rent stabilization also protects tenants from certain forms of deregulation. Since 2019, vacancy and longevity bonuses have generally been eliminated, and high-rent and high-income deregulation is prohibited in most cases. Tenants can also request their apartment’s rent history to examine whether the apartment is properly regulated.

Does NYC Have Rent Control?

Yes, but rent control is gradually being phased out and now covers almost 24,000 apartments in the five boroughs. It’s a separate and much older form of rent regulation than rent stabilization.

In NYC, rent control generally applies to apartments in buildings constructed before February 1947 when the tenant or a qualifying successor has lived there continuously since before July 1, 1971. Because eligibility depends heavily on the tenant’s occupancy history, simply living in an older building doesn’t automatically make an apartment rent controlled.

NYC rent-controlled apartments operate under the Maximum Base Rent (MBR) system.

HCR establishes a Maximum Base Rent for each apartment and adjusts it every two years based on changes in operating costs. A landlord can generally increase the rent only if the required conditions are met, including certification that essential services are being provided and required violations have been addressed. Each increase is limited to the lower of 7.5% or the average of the five most recent Rent Guidelines Board annual rent increases, and it can’t take the rent above the MBR.

Tenants can challenge an increase if they believe the landlord doesn’t meet the requirements or the calculation is incorrect. Rent-controlled apartments also have specific protections concerning eviction and succession rights.

Can a Landlord Raise Rent by More Than 10% in NYC?

It depends on the apartment. A $300 or 10%+ increase isn’t automatically illegal in every NYC apartment. A rent-stabilized renewal can’t exceed the Rent Guidelines Board guideline, and a rent-controlled increase can’t exceed the MBR limits. For a market-rate apartment covered by Good Cause, an increase above the local rent standard (currently 8.38%, and never more than 10%) is presumed unreasonable. Market-rate apartments outside Good Cause have no percentage cap.

Good Cause Eviction Law

The Good Cause Eviction Law, enacted in April 2024, isn’t a rent increase law as such. It limits when a landlord can evict a tenant, and while nonpayment of rent is a good cause for eviction, the law adds a condition: unless the rent increase was unreasonable.

For homes covered by the Good Cause Eviction Law, a rent increase above the local rent standard may be considered unreasonable. The local rent standard is 5% plus the annual change in the Consumer Price Index, up to a maximum of 10%, and the current figure is 8.38%. However, this creates a rebuttable presumption, not an automatic cap. A landlord can present reasons for a higher increase, and a housing court makes the final determination.

The rule also has some exceptions. Rent-stabilized and rent-controlled homes are already regulated, while certain other properties are specifically exempt from Good Cause protections.

For example, on a $2,000 monthly rent, an 8.38% increase would bring the rent to $2,167.60. An increase above that amount may trigger the Good Cause rules if the apartment is covered.

How Often Can a Landlord Raise Rent in NYC?

There is no single rule for every NYC apartment. For rent-stabilized apartments, the regular guideline increase is tied to the lease renewal cycle, with the NYC Rent Guidelines Board setting new rates each year. Tenants generally choose a one- or two-year renewal, and the renewal lease must follow the applicable guideline. For rent-controlled apartments, the MBR is adjusted every two years.

However, regulated rent can sometimes increase during a lease term through specific mechanisms, such as Apartment (IAI) and Building (MCI) Improvements. These are separate from the annual guideline increase and have their own requirements.

For unregulated apartments, the rent generally changes when a lease expires, and there’s no general NYC rule limiting landlords to one rent increase per year. The timing depends largely on the lease and applicable notice requirements.

What Notice Period Is Required for a Rent Increase in NYC?

NY Real Prop L Section 226-C states that landlords must give tenants written notice before increasing rent by 5% or more or deciding not to renew a lease. The required notice is 30, 60, or 90 days, depending on how long the tenant has lived in the apartment or the length of the lease.

For an unregulated or market-rate apartment, the notice period works like this, and it applies even to month-to-month rentals without a lease:

• 30 days: the tenant has lived in the apartment for less than 1 year, or the lease is less than 1 year.
• 60 days: the tenant has lived there for more than 1 year but less than 2 years, or the lease is at least 1 year but less than 2 years.
• 90 days: the tenant has lived there 2 years or more, or the lease term is at least 2 years.

These notice requirements come from the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act (HSTPA) of 2019.

The notice rule doesn’t mean an unregulated landlord can only raise rent by 5%. For market-rate apartments, generally no statutory percentage cap applies when the lease ends, but the landlord must follow the required notice rules.

Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019

The 2019 Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act made major changes to New York’s rent laws. For decades, those laws made it easy for landlords to deregulate apartments. HSTPA went the other way: its main goal was to better protect tenants and keep apartments under rent stabilization.

It became much harder for landlords to take an apartment out of rent stabilization once the legal rent passed a certain high level, and HSTPA removed the rules that exempted apartments when they became vacant or the tenant’s income got too high. It also put limits on raising a preferential rent (where the actual rent is below the legal regulated rent) up to the higher legal rent when renewing a lease, and it closed many of the loopholes landlords used to sharply raise rents after renovations.

How Do Tenants Challenge a Rent Overcharge in NYC?

A tenant who believes they’re paying more than the legal rent usually starts by requesting the apartment’s rent records from HCR’s Office of Rent Administration (ORA) and reviewing the rent registration history to check whether the current rent appears consistent with the regulated rent.

If the apartment is rent stabilized or rent controlled, the tenant can file a formal rent overcharge complaint with HCR. Rent-stabilized tenants can submit the complaint online through Rent Connect or use the applicable HCR overcharge form. Tenants should keep copies of the lease, renewal notices, rent receipts, payment records, and any written communication about the increase.

If HCR determines that a rent-stabilized tenant was overcharged, it can order the legal rent to be corrected and excess rent refunded. A willful overcharge may also result in treble damages under applicable rules.

For help understanding the process, NYC also advises tenants to call 311 and ask for the Tenant Helpline.

How Can Property Managers and Landlords Manage Multiple Properties and Rent Collection Online?

Rent increases are rarely difficult because of the increase itself. The real headache is keeping track of which lease ends when, which tenant received notice, what rent applies, and whether the payment has been updated. RentPost brings these everyday tasks together in one platform, helping landlords and property managers keep track of rental operations, collect rent, manage tenant information, and stay organized across their entire portfolio.

Online Rent Collection

RentPost lets landlords collect rent by ACH or credit card, enable AutoPay, track payments, spot failed transactions, and monitor deposits without manually checking every payment.

Organized Property and Tenant Records

RentPost keeps tenant information organized with dedicated owner and tenant portals, payment histories, document storage, messaging, and task management, giving property managers one place to manage leases, communication, and rental details.

Multi-Property Management From One Place

Growing property portfolios bring more financial details to track. RentPost Pro brings trust accounting, rent rolls, receivables, payables, owner statements, financial reports, and double-entry ledgers into one system, helping property managers keep property and owner finances organized.

Simplified Rent Increase Management

A clear record of every lease, tenant, and payment can take the guesswork out of managing rent changes. With everything organized, landlords can identify affected tenants, keep supporting documents together, and update payment records without chasing information across different systems.

Automated Payment Reminders

Automated reminders help tenants stay on schedule, while RentPost can calculate and apply late fees according to your predefined rules, reducing follow-ups and simplifying rent collection.

RentPost also provides onboarding, data-import assistance, training, and ongoing support for property managers moving their existing rental data onto the platform. For new users, RentPost Pro is free for the first 30 days, then a flat $29 + $1.00/unit per month.

FAQs

Can a family member take over a rent-stabilized apartment in NYC?

Yes, certain family members may have succession rights to a rent-stabilized apartment when the named tenant dies or permanently leaves. Generally, the family member must have lived with the tenant as their primary residence for the required period before the tenant’s departure. HCR sets out the specific eligibility requirements and documentation.

What is the difference between MCI and IAI rent increases in NYC?

A Major Capital Improvement (MCI) involves qualifying work that benefits the entire building, such as a new boiler, roof, or plumbing system. On the other hand, an Individual Apartment Improvement (IAI) involves qualifying upgrades inside a specific apartment, such as new appliances or fixtures. Each has separate eligibility, documentation, and rent increase requirements under HCR rules.

Can tenants challenge an MCI or IAI rent increase in NYC?

Yes. The New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR) allows tenants to challenge MCI or IAI rent increases in NYC. For an MCI, tenants receive the application summary and an opportunity to respond in writing before HCR makes its decision.

For an IAI in an occupied apartment, the landlord generally must obtain the tenant’s written informed consent.

For day-to-day rental operations, landlords can explore RentPost’s property management tools and leasing tools.

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