- NYC Rent Freeze Program to Cover More Seniors and Disabled Tenants
New York City’s Rent Freeze Program lets eligible older tenants and tenants with disabilities lock in their rent, so future increases are covered by a property tax credit to the building owner instead of coming out of their pockets. The state has raised the program’s income limit from $50,000 to $75,000, the first increase since 2014, a change Sen. Liz Krueger says will let thousands more New Yorkers enroll in the NYC rent freeze program. The city still has to finish adopting the new limit, which Krueger expects by the end of November. It covers rent-regulated apartments, including Mitchell-Lama and HDFC housing, and Krueger’s office is offering one-on-one application help at a clinic on Tuesday, Nov. 17. Call 212-490-9535 to book a spot. Slots are limited, and there are no walk-ins.
At city agencies the program goes by two names. SCRIE, the Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption, is for tenants 62 and older. DRIE, the Disability Rent Increase Exemption, is for tenants 18 and older with a disability. Krueger laid out the change and the clinic in her Nov. 5 monthly update to constituents.
When the $75,000 limit takes effect
Krueger credited years of advocacy by tenants and legislators for the increase, which came in this year’s State Budget. On Oct. 22, the City Council passed a bill opting New York City into the higher limit and making the higher limit retroactive to July 1, 2026. The mayor has 30 days to act on legislation the Council passes, and Krueger wrote that there is every expectation the increase will be in effect in the city before the end of November.
“This will be the first increase to the income eligibility cap for the SCRIE and DRIE programs since 2014, and will make it possible for thousands of additional New Yorkers to be able to enroll.”
Sen. Liz Krueger, Nov. 5 monthly update
“Please note that all materials (and the applications) on the DOF’s website indicate that the income eligibility cap for both programs is still $50,000 since the local law opting NYC into the $75,000 limit is not yet in effect,” Krueger wrote. The city’s Rent Freeze Program qualifications page and its apply or renew page remain the starting points until the forms catch up.
Who qualifies for the NYC rent freeze program
Krueger’s eligibility list already uses the new $75,000 figure. To qualify, you must be at least 62 years old, or at least 18 with a disability. You must be the head of household, as a primary tenant named on the lease or rent order, in a rent-regulated apartment: Rent Stabilized, Rent Controlled, Mitchell-Lama, or HDFC. Combined income for everyone in the household must be $75,000 or less, and you must spend at least one-third of your monthly household income on rent…