Do this today
- Keep the increase letter.
- Check whether your lease is still in term.
- Ask NYC HPD — Tenant Bill of Rights whether a local ordinance covers this address.
Does New York City cap rent increases?
Not as a national rule, and not as a rumor. Coverage is an address-and-housing-type question. HPD handles conditions. HCR handles whether a unit is rent-regulated. Housing Court handles possession. 311 is how you open a City service request. Those four are not interchangeable. Ask NYC HPD — Tenant Bill of Rights. Then read New York landlord-tenant and summary-proceeding statutes for the New York floor.
What if I am still in a lease term?
A lease still in term is not the same as month-to-month. The letter in your hand may be a renewal offer, a notice, or something that does not apply yet. Keep it. Do not treat a blog percentage as the law.
Is my NYC apartment rent-stabilized?
Stabilization is a unit question, not a building rumor and not a borough rumor. New York State Homes and Community Renewal administers rent-regulated housing. HPD does not. Ask HCR about this address. Do not assume an old building is regulated, or a new one is not. This desk does not guess your status.
Who do I call in NYC — 311, HPD, HCR, or Housing Court?
They are four different doors. 311 opens a City service request. HPD inspects housing conditions. HCR answers whether a unit is rent-regulated. Housing Court hears possession cases. Calling the wrong one wastes the day you may not have. Match the paper in your hand to the door.
Can my NYC landlord charge a broker fee?
New York City has additional rules on how broker fees may be charged, and they change. Confirm the current rule on the HPD Tenant Bill of Rights or with legal aid — this desk does not reprint a fee split. Keep every invoice. A fee you already paid is a paper trail, not a closed case.
The New York City layer
HPD handles conditions. HCR handles whether a unit is rent-regulated. Housing Court handles possession. 311 is how you open a City service request. Those four are not interchangeable.
New York landlord-tenant and summary-proceeding statutes (N.Y. Real Prop. Law Art. 7; Real Prop. Acts. and Proc. Law) is the New York floor. We name it. We do not paraphrase a day-count or a dollar cap out of it.
New York City questions
Can my landlord in New York City raise the rent whenever they want?
Not while a fixed term is running, in most places — and some New York City units have extra local rules. HPD handles conditions. HCR handles whether a unit is rent-regulated. Housing Court handles possession. 311 is how you open a City service request. Those four are not interchangeable. Confirm coverage with NYC HPD — Tenant Bill of Rights.
Where do I check if my building is covered?
NYC HPD — Tenant Bill of Rights. Coverage is an address question. A neighbor’s building is not your building. New York landlord-tenant and summary-proceeding statutes is still the New York floor.
Is my NYC apartment rent-stabilized?
Stabilization is a unit question, not a building rumor and not a borough rumor. New York State Homes and Community Renewal administers rent-regulated housing. HPD does not. Ask HCR about this address. Do not assume an old building is regulated, or a new one is not. This desk does not guess your status.
Who do I call in NYC — 311, HPD, HCR, or Housing Court?
They are four different doors. 311 opens a City service request. HPD inspects housing conditions. HCR answers whether a unit is rent-regulated. Housing Court hears possession cases. Calling the wrong one wastes the day you may not have. Match the paper in your hand to the door.
Can my NYC landlord charge a broker fee?
New York City has additional rules on how broker fees may be charged, and they change. Confirm the current rule on the HPD Tenant Bill of Rights or with legal aid — this desk does not reprint a fee split. Keep every invoice. A fee you already paid is a paper trail, not a closed case.
What number should I call in New York City?
Danger: 911. Mental-health crisis: 988. City services: 311. Court papers: LawHelp.org the same day. NYC HPD — Tenant Bill of Rights does not replace legal aid when a case is filed.
National answers on this desk
Last reviewed 8 September 2026. Legal information, not legal advice. Not a law firm. hello@renterprotection.org