How Can I Determine if a Rent Hike is Legal in NYC?

A landlord can raise your rent when you renew a lease, but there are limits. If your landlord raises your rent, it’s a good idea to make sure that the rent hike is actually legal. A New York City rent dispute lawyer is ready to assist you if your landlord is violating local laws.

What Are the Limits For a Rent Hike in an NYC Building?

How much of a rent hike you can receive largely depends on what kind of building you live in and which laws cover it. Rent-controlled units are subjected to the most stringent rules about rent increases, but these types of rentals are a rarity. It’s more likely that you are in a rent-stabilized unit or an apartment that benefits from the recently passed Good Cause Eviction law.

How much a landlord can raise the rent of a rent-stabilized unit is set by the Rent Guidelines Board. Their latest vote gave landlords the right to increase rent by up to 2.75% on a one-year lease or 5.25% on a two-year lease.

Units protected by Good Cause rules can only have their rents increased by a maximum of either 10% or 5% plus the current consumer price index. Right now that means a limit of 8.82% rent increases on lease renewals.

Finally, if you don’t live in a rent-controlled, rent-stabilized, or Good Cause unit, then there actually is not a limit on how much your rent can be raised. However, there are rules about how much notice a landlord must give tenants if they plan to raise the rent by more than 5%.

How Can I See If My Building Is Rate-Stablized After a Rent Hike?

If you suddenly get a notification that your rent is going to increase significantly, it’s a good idea to make sure that this is a legal rent hike. You can check the website of the Rent Guidelines Board to see if your unit is rent-stabilized. If it is and your landlord has ignored the limitations set by the RGB, that’s an illegal rent hike.

If your unit isn’t rent-stabilized, it could be protected by the recently passed Good Cause Eviction law. It can sometimes be difficult to figure out if the criteria outlined in this legislation apply to your unit, but a lawyer can help you figure out if you’re protected and if your rent is actually being raised by too much.

What is a Major Capital Improvement?

A landlord can try to justify a larger rent increase by saying that they made a major capital improvement. Replacing plumbing infrastructure, rewiring a building, or replacing the the roof could qualify as an MCI. The landlord would have to make their case to the Division of Housing and Community Renewal to raise the rent more than they normally would be allowed to.

Contact Our Law Firm

If you believe that your landlord is not following the law, contact Robert Rosenblatt & Associates. An experienced lawyer can help you address rent disputes and any related issues.