If your apartment is rent-stabilized
For lease renewals starting Oct 1, 2025 – Sep 30, 2026, the Rent Guidelines Board set roughly 2.75% for a one-year renewal and about 5.25% for a two-year renewal. An increase above the rate for your renewal period appears to exceed what is allowed and is worth verifying against the current Order.
- The cap applies to the legal regulated rent, not to a number written on a new lease.
- MCI and IAI increases are separate and have their own limits.
- Verify the current rate at rentguidelinesboard.cityofnewyork.us.
If your apartment is market-rate
There is no percentage cap. A landlord can propose any amount at renewal, but under NY RPL §226-c an increase greater than 5% requires written notice: 30 days if you have lived there under a year, 60 days for 1–2 years, and 90 days for 2 or more years.
- Rent generally cannot be raised mid-lease unless your lease says so.
- Short notice on a large increase is worth questioning in writing.
- Comparing the increase to local rents and CPI helps in a negotiation.
How to check your own increase
Run the numbers through the Rent Clarified calculator to get a Clarity Score, then request your free DHCR rent history to confirm whether the unit is stabilized. Together those two steps usually answer whether the increase looks fair, high, or outside the rules.
Frequently asked questions
What is the maximum rent increase in NYC for 2026?
For rent-stabilized renewals in the Oct 2025 – Sep 2026 period, roughly 2.75% (one-year) and 5.25% (two-year). Market-rate apartments have no maximum, only notice requirements.
Can my NYC landlord raise rent by 20%?
On a market-rate unit there is no percentage ceiling, so a large increase can be lawful if the correct 30/60/90-day notice was given. On a stabilized unit, that amount would appear to exceed the Rent Guidelines Board cap and is worth verifying.
How often can rent go up in New York City?
Generally once per lease term, at renewal. Mid-lease increases are generally not permitted unless your lease specifically allows one.