In 2025, more than 20,000 rent-stabilized tenants in NYC signed on to demand the next mayor freeze the rent. Then, more than one million New Yorkers voted for a mayor who made freezing the rent a key pillar of his platform and appointed a new Rent Guidelines Board. And then we organized and WE WON A TWO YEAR RENT FREEZE!
The Rent Freeze goes into effect October 1, but to make it meaningful for tenants we have to get organized. Join the Tenant Bloc to help spread the word about the rent freeze, learn how to implement it in your building, and get organized with your neighbors to win better conditions and investment in our homes!
A rent freeze will save every rent stabilized tenant an average of $200 to $600 dollars a month: that’s basic needs like groceries, more time with our families, more to spend in our neighborhoods, and more assurance that we will be able to stay in our homes and in the city we love.
RENT FREEZE FAQ
Here’s more info about how the rent freeze works, if you don’t see the answer to your question, email us at info@tenantbloc.org.
Does the rent freeze apply to everyone? How do I know if I’m eligible?
The rent freeze applies to all rent-stabilized tenants whose leases start after October 1st of this year! To check if you are rent stabilized, head to https://amirentstabilized.com/
If you’re not rent-stabilized, you’re likely protected by Good Cause Eviction! You can check that out at https://goodcausenyc.org/en/
If I already signed my lease with a rent increase, can I still get the rent freeze?
Yes! The Rent Freeze takes effect for all leases signed after October 1, 2026. So if you signed a lease earlier in 2026, you will get the rent freeze when you sign your next lease. We recommend signing a two year lease so that you can rest easy knowing you won’t get a rent hike for two years.
What can I do if my landlord offers me a lease with a rent increase but I am rent stabilized?
First, check when the new lease goes into effect! If it is before October 1, 2026, the lease is subject to Eric Adams’ RGB’s final rent increase and there is no freeze. We recommend that you consider the one year option so you can take advantage of the rent freeze next year!
If your new lease goes into effect after October 1, 2026, we recommend that you either 1) cross out the increase and put in the proper rent amount 2) sign the lease as is but tell the landlord that the increase is a rent overcharge and pay the correct amount. We also recommend that you fill out and submit this form, check box 4, and write that the offered lease does not include the proper rental adjustment.
I’m rent stabilized; should I sign a one or two year lease?
You should sign a two year lease! Tenants across the city organized and won the first-ever multi-year rent freeze, which means stability for 2.4 million New Yorkers! Rent-stabilized leases signed between October 1, 2026 and September 30, 2027 will be frozen, which means your rent could be potentially frozen until 2029 depending on when you sign!
I’m not rent stabilized, what can I do if I get a big rent hike?
If you are not rent stabilized, you may still be eligible for protection from unfair rent hikes under Good Cause Eviction. First see if your unit is covered at GoodCauseNYC.org. If you are covered and your rent hike was over 9%, you can tell your landlord its too high and that you have Good Cause protections. You can negotiate or withhold the increase and keep paying your usual rent, but be prepared to get taken to court and invoke your Good Cause rights. Read more about how to use Good Cause at: https://housingjusticeforall.org/kyr-good-cause/
Don’t landlords need to increase rents to maintain buildings?
Landlords are doing better than ever while 1 in 4 New Yorkers can’t afford the basics. The Rent Guidelines Board’s 2026 data shows that landlord incomes are up 6%, and in the last three years, Net Operating Incomes have risen by nearly 30%, while tenants continue to struggle to make rent. When landlords raise the rent, it goes straight to lining their pockets – not to fixing up our homes. Landlords saw rents increased like they wanted every year under Mayor Adams, but they still are not making repairs. More rent does not equal more repairs.
What about buildings that are in distress?
Tenants refuse to accept a rent hike just so landlords can make themselves rich and cover their bad bets. Our landlords have neglected our homes for years, even when they raised our rents. The 2019 rent laws solved the real crisis —of displacement and de-regulation loopholes, restoring rent-stabilization to work as intended: keeping tenants in their homes.
Tenants shouldn’t be punished for our landlords’ bad business decisions: Their mortgage debts are their problem.
Talk to Your Neighbors
Help spread the word to your neighbors about the rent freeze! Download our toolkit here and print out flyers here to put up in your building.