How to find out if your apartment should be rent-stabilized

If you heard the news today that the Rent Guidelines Board voted not to raise rents on one-year leases for the over one million rent stabilized apartments in NYC, you may have wondered whether or not that applies to you.

Roughly half of all the apartments in New York are rent stabilized. It gives renters the right to stay in their apartments with slight rent increases each year, usually between 2-6%. (But, obviously, just 0% this year.)

If you’re living in a building constructed before 1974, that has 6 or more units that aren’t co-ops and condos, there’s a high likelihood that your building is rent-stabilized. If you moved in before June 23, 2011 with a rent of less than $2,000 or after June 24, 2011 with a rent of less than $2,500, then there’s a high chance your apartment is rent stabilized. 

Your lease should say whether or not your apartment is rent stabilized, but there’s a chance that your landlord is not informing you of the fact. In the past two years, more than 28,000 apartments in the state, most in New York, were restored to New York’s rent-stabilized program after being illegally removed by landlords. In most cases, tenants were awarded thousands of dollars. 

How can you find out if your apartment should be rent stabilized? This incredibly useful website will guide you through the process of requesting a rent history for your apartment, your best bet for discovering any anomalies in the unit’s past history. After that, it connect you with local tenants' rights group that can advise you on your next moves.