Test 1 — The cap (stabilized units only)
If the unit is rent-stabilized, the increase generally cannot exceed the Rent Guidelines Board rate for your renewal period. Anything above it appears to exceed the allowed amount.
Test 2 — The timing
An increase generally takes effect at lease renewal, not in the middle of a lease term. A mid-lease increase is worth questioning unless your lease clearly provides for one.
Test 3 — The written notice
Under NY RPL §226-c, an increase greater than 5% requires advance written notice of 30, 60, or 90 days depending on how long you have lived there. Verbal notice or a text message may not satisfy the statute.
- Under 1 year of tenancy → 30 days.
- 1 to 2 years → 60 days.
- 2 or more years → 90 days.
Test 4 — No retaliation
An increase that closely follows a complaint about repairs, a housing-code report, or tenant organizing may raise a retaliation question under NY RPL §223-b. Keep a dated record of both events.
If a test appears to fail
Put your questions in writing, keep copies, request your DHCR rent history, and consider consulting a licensed New York tenant attorney or a free legal-aid clinic before withholding any payment. Withholding rent carries its own risks.
NYC Rent Guidelines Board rates (Order #58 and recent years)
These caps apply to rent-stabilized apartments only, based on the date your renewal lease begins. Market-rate units have no percentage cap.
| Renewal starts | 1-year | 2-year |
|---|---|---|
| Oct 1, 2026 – Sep 30, 2027 (#58)Current orderAdopted June 25, 2026. A 0% adjustment means the lawful rent charged and paid on Sep 30, 2026 generally carries into the renewal — a renewal notice asking for more than $0 extra appears to exceed Order #58 and is worth verifying. | 0% | 0% |
| Oct 1, 2025 – Sep 30, 2026 (#57)Adopted June 30, 2025. Applies over the lawful rent charged and paid on Sep 30, 2025. | 3% | 4.5% |
| Oct 1, 2024 – Sep 30, 2025 (#56) | 2.75% | 5.25% |
| Oct 1, 2023 – Sep 30, 2024 (#55) | 3% | 2.75% yr 1 / 3.20% yr 2 |
Rates change every June. Verify yours against the official order before relying on it: RGB orders and explanatory statements.
Worked example with real numbers
A $2,400 stabilized rent in Brooklyn, renewing under Order #58
- Start with the current legal regulated rent: $2,400 per month (the rent charged and paid on the date the order measures from).
- Confirm stabilization. Most pre-1974 NYC buildings with 6+ units are covered, as are many receiving 421-a or J-51 benefits. Requesting your NY HCR rent history is the reliable way to confirm it.
- Apply the Order #58 one-year rate (0%): $2,400 × 0.0000 = $0. The renewal rent lands near $2,400.
- For a two-year renewal (0%): about $0 more, so roughly $2,400.
- Compare last cycle: under Order #57 (Oct 1, 2025 – Sep 30, 2026) the same rent would have gone to about $2,472 on a one-year renewal. The date your renewal begins is what picks the rate.
- If the renewal notice says $2,750, that is a $350 jump — about 14.6%. On a stabilized unit that appears to exceed the order in force and is worth verifying against your rent history before paying the difference.
- If the unit is market-rate, there is no percentage ceiling, so the check shifts to notice: 14.6% is over 5%, so the §226-c tiers apply.
The same dollar amount can have two very different answers — which is why confirming stabilization status and your renewal start date matters more than the percentage itself.
The notice tiers that apply either way
Under RPL §226-c the written notice a landlord owes you before an increase above 5% depends on how long you have lived in the unit — not on a flat 30 days.
- Less than 1 year in the unit
- 30 days
- 1 to less than 2 years
- 60 days
- 2 years or more
- 90 days
If the notice was short, the general effect described in §226-c is that the increase cannot take effect until the correct period has run — not that your tenancy ends. Worth raising in writing.
The statutes and orders behind this page
- NY Real Property Law §226-c
Sets the tiered written notice a landlord must give before raising rent more than 5% (or declining to renew): 30 days under 1 year in the unit, 60 days for 1–2 years, 90 days for 2+ years.
- NYC Rent Stabilization Law (Admin. Code §26-501 et seq.)
The law the RGB acts under. It generally covers pre-1974 buildings with six or more units in New York City, plus buildings receiving 421-a or J-51 benefits.
- NYC RGB Apartment/Loft Order #58
The order in force for stabilized renewals commencing Oct 1, 2026 – Sep 30, 2027: 0% on a one-year renewal and 0% on a two-year renewal.
- NY Emergency Tenant Protection Act (ETPA)
Extends stabilization to ETPA municipalities in Nassau, Rockland and Westchester, and explains how to request your official rent history from NY HCR.
- NY Real Property Law §223-b (retaliation)
Treats a rent increase that follows a complaint or a repair request as presumptively retaliatory within a set window, which can be raised as a defense.
- NY HCR rent history request (Form RA-89 / overcharge)
The free official record of every registered rent for a stabilized apartment, and the complaint form used when the registered rent and the rent charged do not line up.
Frequently asked questions
What makes a rent increase illegal in NYC?
Common issues include exceeding the Rent Guidelines Board cap on a stabilized unit, raising rent mid-lease, skipping the §226-c notice period, or an increase that appears retaliatory. Each is worth verifying with your paperwork.
Do I have to pay an increase that looks unlawful?
The unlawful portion is generally not enforceable, but that is a determination for DHCR or a court — not something to assume. Consider consulting a licensed attorney before changing what you pay.
How do I prove my unit is rent-stabilized?
Request your free Apartment Rent Registration History from DHCR. Past registrations are strong evidence of stabilization, as is a stabilization rider attached to your lease.