How To Find Out If You Have A Rent-Stabilized Apartment In NYC

The openigloo team

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Rent-Stabilized Apartments In NYC

Without knowing if you live in a rent-stabilized apartment, you can’t hold your landlords accountable and could be subject to illegal rent increases.

openigloo users have been sharing anonymous reviews about their buildings and landlords. Some renters have shared their experience of learning they were occupying rent-stabilized units and paying more than the legal rent. One openigloo user shared, “Our apartment was rent-stabilized, but the landlords didn’t disclose it, overcharged us for years while submitting increases to the NYC government.”

Rent-Stabilized Apartments In NYC

What is a rent-stabilized apartment in NYC, and why should you care about them?

The New York State Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR) oversees rent regulation. Rents rose sharply in many postwar buildings in 1969, causing the rent-stabilization system to take effect. Simply, having a rent-stabilized lease means 2 things:

  • The landlord has to renew your lease
  • The rent can only go up a certain amount every year

How much can your landlord raise the rent on a stabilized lease?

Rent Stabilized Apartment In NYC FB size Mar 2021

So how can you find out if you have a rent-stabilized unit if your landlord hasn’t disclosed it?

But how can you find a rent-stabilized apartment?

“These apartments are rent stabilized which means they can’t raise rents more than a certain amount – make sure you are getting the right lease renewal as they depend on renters not knowing their rights on this.”

Additionally, landlords register their regulated apartments with the city every year. So we have a working list of addresses with these registrations. But we don’t know which units benefit from stabilization. We’ve added a rent-stabilized tag to every building profile with associated registrations, so tenants can narrow their apartment hunt to just those addresses.

Making sure you get a rent-stabilized lease

So while New York is trying to make renting in this city a little easier and more affordable, it’s up to the renter to know the status of their apartment and what laws apply to them. So the next time you’re in the market for an apartment, try and get your hands on a rent-stabilized apartment.

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