As New York enters a new era in the rental housing market, 2025 has brought significant updates to rent increase laws. These changes affect millions of residents across New York City and the state. Whether you live in Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, Albany, Nassau, or Westchester, understanding the latest regulations is vital to keeping your housing secure and managing your budget. In this guide, you’ll learn everything you need to know about the 2025 rent increase laws—including city-by-city facts, key statistics, recent legal developments, and practical advice for tenants.
Overview of New York’s Rental Landscape
New York State’s rental market is vast and diverse, covering everything from luxury high-rises in Manhattan to family homes in Buffalo and affordable apartments in Albany. Over 45% of the state’s residents are renters, with New York City alone hosting nearly two million rental units—about half the state’s total rental stock.
Major Cities and Their Rental Characteristics
- New York City: Home to about 8.5 million people, NYC’s rental market is the most regulated. It’s split between market-rate units, rent-stabilized apartments, and a small number of rent-controlled units.
- Albany: As the state capital, Albany features both market-rate and rent-stabilized units, especially in older buildings.
- Buffalo, Rochester, Syracuse: Larger upstate cities, generally with more flexible market-rate rentals and fewer rent-regulated units.
2025 Rent Increase Laws: Key Changes
The Rent Guidelines Board (RGB) and recent state-level legislation in 2025 introduced new standards for how much and how frequently landlords can raise rents for certain tenancies.
Major Updates for 2025
- Rent-stabilized apartments in NYC:
- Maximum increase: 3% for one-year leases commencing October 1, 2025 to September 30, 2026.
- 4.5% for two-year leases during the same period.
- Market-rate apartments: Covered by the “Good Cause Eviction Law,” which restricts so-called “unreasonable” rent hikes.
- Rent control remains in effect for a small pool of units, primarily in NYC and a few other counties.
Rent Caps for Rent-Stabilized Apartments in NYC
If you live in a rent-stabilized apartment in any of the five boroughs—Manhattan, Brooklyn, Queens, the Bronx, or Staten Island—your rent increases are tightly regulated:
Lease Term 2024–2025 Allowable Increase 2025–2026 Allowable Increase
1-Year Lease 2.75% 3%…