Rent Stabilization

What it means

A rent regulation system that caps annual rent increases and protects tenants' right to renew their leases. In New York City, most apartments built before 1974 in buildings with 6 or more units are rent stabilized unless the landlord can prove an exemption. Outside NYC, rent stabilization is available only in municipalities that opted in under the Emergency Tenant Protection Act (ETPA). A small number of municipalities in Westchester, Nassau, and Rockland have opted in. Most upstate cities — including Rochester — have not opted in, so most rentals in Monroe County are not rent stabilized. The Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019 (HSTPA) tightened protections statewide. Annual rent increases for stabilized units are set each year by a Rent Guidelines Board. Tenants have the right to renew their lease. Improper rent overcharges can be challenged with the state Division of Housing and Community Renewal.

When you might hear this

Rent stabilization is a New York system that limits how much a landlord can raise rent each year and gives tenants the right to renew their lease. It mostly covers older multifamily buildings in New York City and in some upstate municipalities that opted in under the Emergency Tenant Protection Act.

What to ask