A Stronger Safety Net for NYC Renters
If you rent in New York City, 2026 has already brought meaningful changes to how you’re protected. Between the Good Cause Eviction law that took effect in April 2024 and Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s first-day executive orders revitalizing the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants, the landscape for renters is shifting — and it’s worth understanding exactly what you’re entitled to.
Here’s what every NYC tenant should know right now.
Good Cause Eviction: What It Actually Means for You
New York State’s Good Cause Eviction law is one of the most significant tenant protections to arrive in years. If you live in a market-rate apartment that isn’t already covered by rent stabilization, this law likely applies to you. Here’s how it works:
Your landlord needs a valid reason to evict you. Under Good Cause, a landlord can no longer simply decline to renew your lease or push you out without cause. To remove you, they must demonstrate one of several legally recognized reasons — like nonpayment of rent, violation of lease terms, or using the apartment for illegal purposes. If you’re paying rent and following your lease, you have the right to stay.
Rent increases are capped. The law establishes a “local rent standard” each year, set at the rate of inflation plus 5%, with a hard ceiling of 10%. If your landlord proposes an increase above that threshold, you can challenge it in Housing Court as unreasonable. This doesn’t freeze your rent, but it puts a guardrail on the kinds of dramatic hikes that have pushed renters out of their homes.
You can use Good Cause as a legal defense. If your landlord takes you to Housing Court and you believe the eviction lacks a valid reason, you can raise Good Cause as a defense. The New York State Attorney General’s office has published a detailed breakdown of your rights under this law.
What About Rent-Stabilized Apartments?
If your apartment is rent-stabilized, you’re covered by a separate system. The NYC Rent Guidelines Board set the 2025–2026 renewal increase at 3% for one-year leases and 4.5% for two-year leases. These rates apply to leases starting between October 1, 2025 and September 30, 2026.
If your landlord is charging more than the approved guideline increase, that’s a violation. You can file a complaint with the NYS Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR).
Not sure if your apartment is rent-stabilized? You can request your apartment’s rent history from DHCR by calling 718-739-6400 or visiting their online building search tool.
Mayor Mamdani’s Office to Protect Tenants
On January 1, 2026, Mayor Mamdani signed Executive Order 03, revitalizing the Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants with Cea Weaver as its director. The office is tasked with coordinating city resources for tenants, advocating for renter interests, and combating landlord abuse.
Days later, Executive Order 08 — “Protecting Tenants from Rental Ripoffs and Abusive Landlord Practices” — launched a series of public hearings across all five boroughs. These hearings give tenants a direct channel to report illegal, deceptive, or abusive practices by landlords. At least one hearing is scheduled in each borough by April 2026.
This matters because it creates an official record of the patterns tenants are experiencing — illegal lockouts, bogus fees, harassment — which can lead to targeted enforcement.
Your Core Rights as an NYC Tenant (Quick Reference)
These protections apply regardless of whether you’re in a stabilized or market-rate unit:
Security deposit cap: Your landlord can charge a maximum of one month’s rent. Anything above that is illegal under the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019 (HSTPA). After you move out, the landlord has 14 days to return your deposit or provide an itemized statement of deductions.
Heat and hot water: From October 1 through May 31, your landlord must maintain indoor temperatures of at least 68°F during the day (when outdoor temps drop below 55°F) and 62°F at night. Hot water must be available 24/7 year-round at a minimum of 120°F.
Right to privacy: Your landlord cannot enter your apartment without your permission except in a genuine emergency. Reasonable advance notice (typically 24 hours) is the standard.
Free legal help in eviction cases: Through the Universal Access to Counsel program, income-eligible tenants facing eviction in Housing Court are entitled to free legal representation.
Action Steps
1. Check your apartment’s status. Use the DHCR Building Search to find out if your apartment is rent-stabilized.
2. Know the limits on your rent increase. If rent-stabilized: 3% (1-year) or 4.5% (2-year). If market-rate and covered by Good Cause: the local rent standard caps increases at inflation + 5%, maxing at 10%.
3. Report violations. Call 311 to report heat, hot water, or maintenance failures. For illegal rent overcharges, file a complaint with DHCR.
4. Get free legal help. If you’re facing eviction, call 311 and ask about the Right to Counsel program, or contact Legal Services NYC directly.
5. Attend a tenant protection hearing. The Mayor’s Office to Protect Tenants is holding borough-wide hearings through spring 2026. Check nyc.gov/tenantprotection for dates and locations.
If you’re dealing with landlord maintenance issues or 311 complaints, we’ve covered how to make the system work for you. And if rising rent is making you rethink your options, check out our guide to roommates and co-living in NYC for ways to cut costs without leaving the city.
