Rent control in New York City, NY

One rule applies, with its citation below.

Research, not legal advice

These summaries are compiled from ordinance text and public sources and are dated at the point they were last checked. Rules change between checks — Newark replaced its whole registration regime in a single month — so confirm anything you are about to underwrite against the primary source or the municipal office named in the citation.

Stabilisation attaches at 6+ units built before 1974

New York Citymedium confidence

Verified on 2026-08-01 — 15 days ago.

Rent stabilisation attaches to buildings with six or more units built before 1974. A genuine 2–4 unit building is free-market.

This cuts both ways for a small buyer: the post-HSTPA collapse in stabilised-building values does not apply to a 2–4 unit, so comparisons drawn from stabilised-stock pricing are the wrong comparison.

Unit counts: 6+ units
Construction: Built before 1974

Sources

NYC Rent Stabilization Law and Emergency Tenant Protection Act — NYC Admin. Code §26-501 et seq.; ETPA of 1974
NYS Homes and Community Renewal — rent regulation

Every rule for New York City, NY