Office of Rent Administration (ORA)

RENT NEWS

Important Notices and Recently Revised Documents The following documents have been revised to reflect NYC Rent Guidelines Board (RGB) Order #55: The New York City Renewal Lease form, RTP-8, has been updated to accommodate the complex structure of the two-year renewal lease option created by NYC RGB Order #55 for leases commencing on or after October 1, 2023, and on or before September 30, 2024. In addition, a completed sample version of the form is being placed on the website to illustrate its proper completion.   Fact Sheet #26: Guide to Rent Increases for Rent Stabilized Apartments (7/23) - Revised to reflect RGB orders for 10/1/23 – 9/30/24 and PHFL 610 Form #RTP-8: Renewal Lease Form (6/23) Form #RTP-8: Renewal Lease Form SAMPLE (6/23) Initial Registration Form Samples - 421-a (16) Buildings NEW! (10/23) Initial Registration Form Samples - Regulatory Agreement Buildings NEW! (10/23) Operational Bulletin #84-4-38: Permissible Charges for the Use and/or Initial Installation of an Air Conditioner NEW! (9/23) Form #R-33.8: Owner's Sixty-Day Notice of Maximum Rent Adjustment (Rent Control Apartments Outside of New York City) (7/23)   Housing Resources and Referrals  Office of Rent Administration Transparency Initiative   On July 28, 2022, the City of Kingston voted to adopt the New York State Emergency Tenant Protection Act (ETPA). Visit City of Kingston Votes to Adopt the Emergency Tenant Protection Act for more information and updates. REVISED! (6/28/23)   Strengthening New York State Rent Regulations - The Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019 View Presentation Rent Laws 2019 Updated Documents

The Office of Rent Administration provides assistance and services for tenants of rent regulated homes.

For more information on these services, please visit the page below:
 

Tenant's Homepage

Conduct a Rent Regulated Building or Case Status Search

The Office of Rent Administration provides assistance and services for owners and mangers of rent regulated homes.

For more information on these services, please visit the page below:
 

Owner's and Manager's Homepage
 

Conduct a Rent Regulated Building or Case Status Search

A number of communities in New York State have rent regulation programs known as rent control and rent stabilization. These Rent Regulation Programs administered by the Office of Rent Administration (ORA), position ORA as a leader in the preservation of affordable housing. Rent regulation is intended to protect tenants in privately-owned buildings from illegal rent increases and allow owners to maintain their buildings and realize a reasonable profit.

Rent control is the older of the two systems of rent regulation. It dates back to the housing shortage immediately following World War II and generally applies to buildings constructed before 1947. Rent stabilization generally covers buildings built after 1947 and before 1974, and apartments removed from rent control. Outside New York City rent stabilization is also known as ETPA, for the Emergency Tenant Protection Act. More details on these matters can be obtained by calling, writing, or visiting one of the DHCR Borough or District Rent Offices.

Rent Control

The rent control program applies to residential buildings constructed before February, 1947 in municipalities that have not declared an end to the postwar rental housing emergency. There are several municipalities that still have rent control, including New York City, Nassau and Westchester counties.

At a Glance

Rent control limits the rent an owner may charge for an apartment and restricts the right of any owner to evict tenants.

Rents charged in controlled apartments are set and adjusted on the basis of registrations filed by owners when Federal rent control was imposed in 1943. The rent control law allows DHCR to determine how much rents can be increased based on an assessment of what it costs owners to operate their buildings plus a reasonable profit.

In New York City, rent control operates under the Maximum Base Rent (MBR) system. A maximum base rent is established for each apartment and adjusted every two years to reflect changes in operating costs. Owners who certify that they are providing essential services and have removed violations, are entitled to raise rents annually. Tenants may challenge the proposed increase on the grounds that the building has violations or that the owner's expenses do not warrant an increase. Outside of New York City,  owners can file for ORA approved rent increases once every two years.

Rent Stabilization

In New York City, apartments are under rent stabilization if they are in buildings of six or more units built between February 1, 1947, and December 31, 1973. Tenants in buildings built before February 1, 1947, who moved in after June 30, 1971, are also covered by rent stabilization. A third category of rent stabilized apartments covers buildings with three or more apartments constructed or extensively renovated on or after January 1, 1974 with special tax benefits. Generally, those buildings are only subject to stabilization while the tax benefits continue or, in some cases, until the tenant vacates.

At a Glance

Like rent control, rent stabilization also provides other protections to tenants besides limitations on the amount of rent. Tenants are entitled to receive required services, to have their leases renewed, and may not be evicted except on grounds allowed by law. Leases may be renewed for a term of one or two years, at the tenant's choice based on guidelines established annually by the NYC Rent Guidelines Board.

Emergency Tenant Protection Act

Outside New York City, rent stabilization applies to non-rent controlled apartments in buildings of six or more units built before January 1, 1974, in the localities that have adopted ETPA, which include the City of Kingston, and Westchester, Nassau, and Rockland counties.  For information on previous vacancy and lease renewal guideline increases for Westchester, Nassau, and Rockland counties, please see the ETPA Historical Guidelines.

Rent Registration

Owners are required to file initial registrations and subsequent annual registrations with ORA and are required to send a copy of the registration to  the tenant. 

Municipalities in Nassau, Rockland and Westchester Counties which have adopted the Emergency Tenant Protection Act of 1974:

For Rent Guideline Board notices and public hearing information, please visit the page below.

Public Hearings Information     

For Maximum Base Rent notices and public hearing information, please visit the page below.

MBR HEARINGS information

Regulatory Information - Notice of Public Hearing Information