On Thursday, May 7, the city Rent Guidelines Board will vote on preliminary recommendations for how much landlords of the city’s nearly one million rentstabilized apartments can raise rents in the coming year. The RGB, with two tenant representatives, two landlord representatives, and five “public members,” decides after reading reports on owners’ income and costs and hearing tenants’ testimony. With Mayor Zohran Mamdani having appointed four public members, tenants are hoping that the Board will carry out his campaign promise to freeze rents. After the RGB issues its preliminary recommendations, it will hold one public hearing per borough to receive public testimony from both tenants and property owners.

Last year, under Eric Adams, the RGB allowed increases of 3% for a one-year lease renewal and 4.5% for two years. It partially froze rents four times under Bill de Blasio, but raised them by up to 7.75% in Michael Bloomberg’s last year. The preliminary vote—which recently has been a range of possible outcomes—and the final vote (June 25 this year) usually draw loud tenant protests. Mamdani in office has used more neutral language, saying in February that he hoped the board would “help us move closer to a fairer, more affordable New York.” “We have to show up in full force,” Met Council on Housing, which is demanding “no increases on all leases,” wrote in a message to supporters Apr. 29.

In 2025, only 400 people testified at the RGB’s public hearings. To boost public participation, the recently launched Mayor’s Office of Mass Engagement is canvasing in neighborhoods across the city to let people know about the hearings. MOME is led by Tascha Van Auken, the field director for Mamdani’s 2025 mayoral campaign which mobilized over 100,000 volunteers. For more, see nyc.gov/content/organize/pages.

PUBLIC HEARINGS

QUEENS

Thursday June 4

5:00-8:00 PM

Jamaica Performing Arts Center Auditorium

153-10 Jamaica Ave.

BRONX

Monday June 8

5:00–8:00 PM

Main Theater of Hostos Community College/CUNY

450 Grand Concourse

BROOKLYN

Thursday June 11

7:00–10:00 PM

Theater at City Tech College/CUNY

285 Jay St.

MANHATTAN

Tuesday June 16

5:00–8:00 PM

Symphony Space

2537 Broadway at 95th St.

FINAL VOTE

Thursday June 25

7:00 PM

(Doors will open at 6:00 PM)

1230 5th Ave at 104th St.

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