A practical guide to navigating the 2025-2026 rent increases, knowing your rights, and making strategic decisions about your housing future in New York City

If you’re one of NYC’s nearly one million rent-stabilized tenants, you already know: your rent increased when your lease renewed after October 1, 2025. The Rent Guidelines Board approved increases of 3% for one-year leases and 4.5% for two-year leases—the fourth consecutive year of rent hikes under the current administration.

The June 2025 vote was contentious. Tenant advocates packed the hearing at El Museo del Barrio in East Harlem, holding signs that read “Freeze the Rent” and demanding that the board approve no increases at all. The 5-4 decision was met with boos and jeers. Meanwhile, small landlord groups argued the increases were essential to cover rising maintenance and operating costs for aging buildings.

Whether you’re facing your first renewal under these new guidelines or you’ve been navigating NYC’s rent-regulated market for years, here’s what you need to know to make informed decisions about your housing situation in 2026.

Understanding the 2025-2026 Increases

The increases apply to rent-stabilized apartments with leases commencing or renewing between October 1, 2025, and September 30, 2026. Here’s what that looks like in real numbers:

One-year lease: 3% increase
Two-year lease: 4.5% increase

What Does This Mean for Your Wallet?

Let’s do the math:

If your rent is $2,000/month: A one-year lease adds $60/month ($720/year); a two-year lease adds $90/month ($1,080/year)
If your rent is $3,000/month: A one-year lease adds $90/month ($1,080/year); a two-year lease adds $135/month ($1,620/year)
If your rent is $3,500/month: A one-year lease adds $105/month ($1,260/year); a two-year lease adds $157.50/month ($1,890/year)

According to a recent analysis by real estate experts, median rents in Manhattan are predicted to exceed $5,000 in 2026 (up 5% from November 2025), while Brooklyn median rents are expected to surpass $4,000 (up 5% from November 2025).

For rent-stabilized tenants, these RGB-approved increases are significantly lower than market-rate increases, but they still strain budgets—especially when wages aren’t keeping pace.

Know Your Rights as a Rent-Stabilized Tenant

Being rent-stabilized comes with significant protections. According to NYC’s official rent stabilization guidance, you have the right to:

1. Renew Your Lease

You have the right to renew your lease when it expires. This protects you from eviction due to an expired or nonexistent lease. You can choose between a one-year or two-year lease renewal.

Your landlord must provide you with a renewal lease between 150 and 90 days before your current lease expires. If they don’t, you can file a complaint with the Office of Rent Administration.

2. Maintain the Same Terms

Your renewal lease must contain the same terms as your original lease. The only thing that can change is the rent amount (according to RGB guidelines) and the lease end date.

3. Keep Your Preferential Rent

If you’ve been paying a preferential rent (below the legal regulated rent) since June 14, 2019, you’ll retain it as long as you continue renting the property, thanks to the 2019 Housing Stability & Tenant Protection Act (HSTPA).

4. Challenge Overcharges

If you believe your landlord is charging you more than allowed, you can file a rent overcharge complaint with the New York State Division of Homes and Community Renewal (HCR). Call 311 and ask for the “Tenant Helpline” if you need help with the form.

5. Request Your Rent History

You can and should request your apartment’s rent history from HCR. This shows you the legal rent charged over time and helps you verify whether you’re being overcharged. You can request this online, by email ([email protected]), or by calling 833-499-0343.

The Strategic Decision: One-Year vs. Two-Year Lease

You have a choice to make: lock in the lower 3% increase for one year, or commit to the 4.5% increase for two years?

Choose the One-Year Lease If:

You’re uncertain about your NYC future (considering a move, job change, relationship change)
You anticipate your income increasing significantly within the next year
You’re hoping for political change that could impact future rent guidelines (Note: mayoral candidate Zohran Mamdani has vowed to freeze rents, but any freeze wouldn’t take effect until October 2026 at the earliest)
You want flexibility to move if a better apartment becomes available

Choose the Two-Year Lease If:

You’re committed to staying in your apartment for the foreseeable future
You value stability and don’t want to deal with renewal negotiations again in 12 months
You’re concerned that 2026-2027 increases could be higher (though there’s no way to predict this)
The additional $45/month (on a $3,000 apartment) is manageable in your budget

Do the Math

For a $3,000/month apartment:

One-year option: $90/month more = $1,080 over one year
Two-year option: $135/month more = $3,240 over two years

If you went with the one-year lease and next year’s increase was also 3%, you’d pay:

Year 1: $3,090/month
Year 2: $3,183/month (3% of $3,090)
Total over two years: approximately $3,200 more than your original rent

The two-year lease only saves you money if the next year’s increases are higher than 3%. It’s a gamble either way.

Making the Increase Work in Your Budget

If the rent increase is straining your finances, here are some strategies:

1. Audit Your Spending

Look for places to trim $60-$135/month. Common cuts that add up:

Subscription services you rarely use ($50-100/month)
Dining out less frequently ($100-200/month)
Shopping more strategically for groceries ($50-100/month)
Canceling unused gym memberships ($30-150/month)

2. Negotiate Elsewhere

While you can’t negotiate your rent-stabilized increase, you can negotiate other bills:

Call your internet/cable provider and threaten to cancel for a “retention” discount
Shop around for cheaper phone plans
Review insurance policies for potential savings

3. Increase Your Income

Consider:

Asking for a raise at work (see our salary negotiation guide)
Starting a side hustle (check out our tax guide for side income)
Picking up freelance work in your field
Subletting a room (if your lease allows it)

4. Look Into Assistance Programs

If you’re struggling to make rent, explore:

One Shot Deal: Emergency assistance for rent arrears
CityFHEPS: Rental assistance for families and individuals experiencing homelessness
FHEPS (Family Homelessness & Eviction Prevention Supplement): Rental assistance program

Considering Your Alternatives

For some people, the increases make them question whether staying in their rent-stabilized apartment is still the right choice.

Should You Move?

Before making any decisions, consider:

Moving costs: First month, last month, security deposit, broker fee (potentially 15% of annual rent = 1.8 months’ rent starting June 2025 with the FARE Act), moving truck, time off work. Moving typically costs $5,000-$15,000 in NYC.
Rent-stabilization is valuable: Your apartment is protected from dramatic rent spikes. Market-rate apartments have no such protections. Since the 2019 HSTPA, rent-stabilized apartments remain stabilized regardless of rent amount.
Location matters: If your apartment is well-located (near your job, good schools, convenient transit), that has real financial value beyond just rent.
Market comparison: Check what similar apartments in your neighborhood are renting for on the open market. Your stabilized rent is likely still significantly below market rate.

The Roommate Option

If your lease allows it and you have the space, taking on a roommate can significantly offset your rent increase. On a $3,000 apartment with a $135/month increase, a roommate paying $1,500/month suddenly makes your net cost $1,635/month—less than you were paying before.

Check your lease carefully for occupancy restrictions, and be sure to consult with your landlord if required.

The Political Landscape: What Could Change

The rent increase issue has become central to NYC’s political landscape. Assemblyman Zohran Mamdani, the Democratic mayoral nominee and current frontrunner, has vowed to freeze rent for rent-stabilized units for his entire term if elected.

However, the timeline matters. A new mayor can’t appoint Rent Guidelines Board members until taking office in January 2026, and the RGB vote on rent adjustments happens over the summer. Any freeze wouldn’t go into effect until October 2026 at the earliest—meaning the current 3%/4.5% increases will affect tenants renewing in 2025-2026 regardless.

On his first day in office in January 2026, Mayor Mamdani signed executive orders to protect tenants and fast-track housing construction. He also announced “rental ripoff hearings” to address landlord misconduct. These early moves signal that tenant protections will be a priority.

The Long-Term Housing Outlook

NYC’s housing crisis isn’t going away anytime soon. According to NYC EDC’s 2025 report, high housing costs are the city’s “defining challenge,” driving out working- and middle-class families.

The data is sobering:

NYC’s citywide housing vacancy rate was 1.4% in 2023—the lowest since 1968
Only about 16,000 new homes were permitted in 2023 during the lapsed 421-a tax incentive period
Though new development increased 43% in 2025, it’s too little too soon to meaningfully impact rent growth
Nearly 45% of rental apartments in NYC are rent-stabilized, with much of the remaining 55% now subject to Good Cause Eviction laws

The fundamental issue: demand vastly exceeds supply. Until the city makes new development easier and faster, expect rents to continue rising.

Key Takeaways

The increases are real: 3% for one-year leases, 4.5% for two-year leases, effective October 2025-September 2026.
Know your rights: You have the right to renew, to the same lease terms, to request rent history, and to challenge overcharges.
Choose strategically: One-year leases offer flexibility; two-year leases offer stability and hedge against potentially higher future increases.
Your rent-stabilization is valuable: Moving is expensive and exposes you to market-rate rents with no protections.
Adjust your budget: Find $60-$135/month through spending cuts, income increases, or both.
Political change takes time: Even if a rent freeze is coming, it won’t affect 2025-2026 renewals.
The housing crisis persists: Supply and demand fundamentals suggest rents will continue rising citywide.

Rent increases are never welcome news, but they’re a reality of living in one of the world’s most expensive cities. The silver lining? If you’re rent-stabilized, you have far more protections than the majority of NYC renters. Knowledge is power—understanding your rights, running the numbers, and making strategic decisions about lease length and budget adjustments can help you navigate these increases while maintaining your foothold in the city.

And remember: your rent-stabilized apartment isn’t just housing. It’s a valuable asset in a city where housing security is increasingly rare. Before you consider giving it up, make sure you’ve exhausted all your options for making it work.

Related Reading:

Your NYC Rent Just Went Up. Now What?

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A practical guide to navigating the 2025-2026 rent increases, knowing your rights, and making strategic decisions about your housing future in New York City