Quick answer: Go to portal.hcr.ny.gov/app/ask, enter your address, and request your apartment’s rent history. If your apartment is rent stabilized, you’ll receive a document in the mail within 20 business days. If nothing arrives, it’s likely not stabilized. You can also call 833-499-0343.
Almost Half of NYC Apartments Are Rent Stabilized — Is Yours One of Them?
Nearly one million apartments in New York City are rent stabilized. That’s close to half of all rental apartments in the city. If yours is one of them, your landlord cannot raise your rent by more than a set percentage each year, must offer you a lease renewal, and cannot evict you without legal cause.
The problem: most tenants have no idea. And landlords aren’t always in a hurry to tell you. As of January 26, 2026, Local Law 86 — the Rent Transparency Act — requires landlords to post a notice in building common areas explaining how to check your status. But enforcement is new, many buildings don’t have the sign yet, and even if yours does, you should verify for yourself.
How to Check in 5 Minutes
Step 1: Go to portal.hcr.ny.gov/app/ask
This is the New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) online portal. Under “reason,” select “Am I rent stabilized?” or “Apartment rent history” — both get you the same result.
Step 2: Enter your name, email address, and full building address including apartment number and zip code.
Step 3: Submit. HCR will mail your apartment’s rent history to your address within approximately 20 business days.
If rent history arrives: your apartment is stabilized.
If nothing arrives: it’s likely not stabilized, though it’s worth a follow-up call if you have reason to believe it should be.
Prefer a tool that walks you through it? app.justfix.org has a free, user-friendly rent history request that handles the paperwork for you.
Signs Your Apartment Might Already Be Stabilized
- Your rent is an odd number — like $1,187.59 instead of $1,200. Stabilized rents compound by small percentages each year, creating unusual amounts.
- Your building was built before 1974 and has 6 or more units.
- Your lease includes a document called an “RTP-8” rider — that’s a rent stabilization rider.
- Your rent went up by exactly 3% or 4.5% at renewal. Those are the current NYC Rent Guidelines Board caps for stabilized apartments (October 2025 through September 2026: 3% for one-year leases, 4.5% for two-year leases).
- Neighbors in your building pay very different amounts for similar apartments — suggesting some are stabilized and some aren’t, or some landlords are overcharging.
What Rent Stabilization Actually Gives You
If you’re stabilized, your landlord can only raise your rent by the percentage set each year by the NYC Rent Guidelines Board. For leases starting between October 1, 2025 and September 30, 2026, that’s 3% for a one-year renewal and 4.5% for a two-year renewal. Nothing above that without DHCR approval for specific capital improvements.
You also have the right to a lease renewal — your landlord cannot simply decline to renew because they found someone willing to pay more. And if you’ve been living with the primary tenant for at least two years, certain family members have succession rights to take over the lease if the tenant leaves or passes away.
What If Your Landlord Has Been Overcharging You?
This is more common than you’d think. Your rent history shows every registered rent for your apartment going back to 1984. If the legal rent is lower than what you’re paying, you may have grounds for a rent overcharge complaint.
File a complaint with DHCR using form RA-89, available at hcr.ny.gov. For free help interpreting your rent history, call 311 and ask for the Tenant Helpline, or contact the Met Council on Housing at 212-979-0611 — they specialize in exactly this.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find out if my NYC apartment is rent stabilized?
Request your rent history at portal.hcr.ny.gov/app/ask or call HCR at 833-499-0343. If your apartment is stabilized, you’ll receive a rent history document by mail within about 20 business days. You can also use app.justfix.org for a guided process.
My building was built before 1974 — does that mean I’m stabilized?
Probably, if your building has 6 or more units and you haven’t been told otherwise. But verify — some apartments in older buildings were deregulated before 2019 when high-rent deregulation was still legal. Since June 2019, that loophole was closed, so most pre-1974 buildings with 6+ units should still be stabilized.
What are the current rent increase limits for stabilized apartments?
For leases starting between October 1, 2025 and September 30, 2026: 3% for a one-year renewal, 4.5% for a two-year renewal. Your landlord cannot go above these amounts without DHCR approval.
What if my landlord has been charging me more than the legal rent?
File a rent overcharge complaint with DHCR using form RA-89 at hcr.ny.gov. For free help, call 311 and ask for the Tenant Helpline, or contact the Met Council on Housing at 212-979-0611.
My landlord says my apartment is not stabilized. What can I do?
Check for yourself — don’t take their word for it. Request your rent history from HCR at portal.hcr.ny.gov/app/ask. If the history shows your apartment was registered as stabilized and you’re being charged above the legal rent, that’s a DHCR complaint.
