Rent Regulation Fact Sheets

This Fact Sheet contains information on the requirements that generally must be met for a building to be considered rent stabilized, or for an apartment to be considered rent controlled. It also contains general information on rent increases, rent overcharges, rent reductions for decreases in services, harassment, and rent registration.

This Fact Sheet contains information on the lease rider and tenant rights when a copy of the lease rider or addenda is not included with a vacancy or renewal lease.

This Fact Sheet contains information on required and essential services, which include repairs, heat, hot and cold water, maintenance, painting and janitorial services, elevator service and ancillary services such as garage and recreational facilities. Owners must provide and maintain services and equipment furnished or required by Rent Control or Rent Stabilization regulations.

This Fact Sheet contains information on the rights and responsibilities of owners and tenants when renewing rent stabilized apartment leases.

This Fact Sheet contains information on vacancy leases.

This Fact Sheet contains information on Fair Market Rent Appeals. 

This Fact Sheet contains information on how to legally sublet rent controlled and rent stabilized apartments. It also contains information on subtenant rights, assignments and illusory tenancies.

This Fact Sheet contains information on security deposits and other allowable or prohibited charges.

This Fact Sheet contains information on the procedures and rules that owners must follow in order to evict a tenant based on owner occupancy of the apartment.

This Fact Sheet contains information on tenant rights when the owner is not maintaining services or does not comply with a DHCR order. It also contains the procedures that owners must follow if he, she or they cannot get access to a tenant’s apartment to make repairs, how a rent reduction order affects rent stabilized and rent controlled tenants, and more.

This Fact Sheet contains information on when heat and hot water must be provided for rent regulated buildings inside and outside New York City, and tenant rights when an owner fails to provide heat and or hot water.

This Fact Sheet contains information on the two alternate methods that tenants may choose from to collect rent overcharge penalties from owners. Tenants may begin to use either of the two methods only after DHCR issues a final order establishing the legal regulated rent and determining the penalty.

This Fact Sheet contains information on what is considered harassment and the steps that tenants can take if the owner, or anyone acting on behalf of the owner, is harassing them. 

This Fact Sheet contains general information on Petitions for Administrative Review (PAR), such as how to file a PAR, how a PAR is processed by DHCR, how to appeal a PAR, and more.

Small Building Owners’ Assistance Unit to provide special assistance to owners of rent regulated buildings with a total of 50 units or less.

This Fact Sheet contains information on eviction protections for disabled persons. It also contains information on the Disability Rent Increase Exemption (D.R.I.E) program.

This Fact Sheet contains information on eviction protections and other rights for senior citizens. It also contains information on the Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption (S.C.R.I.E) program.

This Fact Sheet contains information on who is eligible for the MBR program, how to file an MBR application, and more.

This Fact Sheet contains information on what qualifies to be considered a Major Capital Improvement, the documentation that is needed for the MCI application, case processing, and more.

Window guards approved by the Department of Health must be properly installed according to DOH specifications in all windows,

This Fact Sheet contains information on the types of legal rent increases that owners may apply to a rent stabilized tenant’s rent.

This Fact Sheet contains information on the surcharges that owners may charge for the use and or installation of an air conditioner in electrical inclusion buildings. Owners may also be eligible for a rent increase if they purchase and install an air conditioner in a rent control or rent stabilized apartment.

This Fact Sheet contains information on the definitions of a family member, disabled person, and senior citizen for succession purposes, and the minimum residency requirements that must be met to be eligible for succession rights.

This Fact Sheet contains information on the grounds for eviction, as well as resources for assistance with questions about court-related matters or free legal assistance.

This Fact Sheet contains information on the requirements set forth by the Useful Life Schedule for a variety of MCI items and the timeline in which an owner may apply for a waiver of the application of the useful life requirement.

Proceedings may be expedited on a case-by-case basis for good cause shown and with full consideration of the equities.

This Fact Sheet contains information on how a rent reduction order affects the collectibility of an MCI or IAI rent increase.

This Fact Sheet contains information on the historical deregulation rent and income thresholds for vacant and occupied apartments. As of June 14, 2019, all forms of deregulation with the exception of 421-a (16) apartments, have been repealed. 

This Fact Sheet contains information on conditions that are de minimis in nature, and do not rise to the level of a failure to maintain a required service. De minimis services only have a minimal impact on tenants.

This Fact Sheet contains information on the requirements for a building to be considered substantially rehabilitated.

The restrictions against applying for or receiving an alternative hardship rent adjustment are listed here.

This Fact Sheet contains information on the rules and limitations regarding preferential rent.

This Fact Sheet contains information on the tax incentive programs that give tax benefits to owners for meeting certain requirements, such as rehabilitating qualifying systems in existing buildings, constructing new buildings, or creating residential units in previously commercial buildings.

This Fact Sheet contains information on the rights of "permanent tenants" protected under rent stabilization, who live in hotels, SROs, and rooming houses. 

This Fact Sheet contains Frequently Asked Questions related to foreclosure and owner and tenant’s rights.

This Fact Sheet contains information on certain fees that owners may charge tenants that are separate and apart from the rent for the apartment. Fees of any kind cannot become a part of the legal or preferential rent and cannot be added to the rent for the purpose of calculating lease renewal increases.