In New York City and other urban areas where the free market rental rates can be higher than what some residents can pay, rent stabilized units are available at varying levels of vacancy.
These units are not controlled by landlord-tenant negotiations or the free market conditions of scarcity.
They are instead governed by a controlling board or group that oversees how much a landlord is allowed to raise their rent every year.
If an apartment, flat, single family home, or other rental unit does not have rent stabilization, then most jurisdictions allow a landlord to raise the rent on that unit to whatever amount they want.
If a tenant doesn’t have a rental agreement in place that guarantees them a specific rate, then they are forced to either pay the new rate, leave voluntarily, or face an eviction process.
Rent stabilization avoids much of this, but that doesn’t mean tenants in these units won’t face an increase amount of rent.
What is a rent stabilized increase?
It is a specific percentage that the governing board or group states is allowed for all stabilized rental contracts over a specific period of time.
It Is Possible to Have a 0% Increase
Rent stabilization is often based on factors like the local unemployment rate, annual average household income, and other economic factors.
The supervising board or group will allow a rent increase based on the increase or decrease of those factors.
If a community is struggling to find employment and household incomes are low for a year, then a 0% increase may be a very real possibility.
Most rent stabilized increases tend to be in the 2-5% range.
One exception to this rule is if a landlord is charging less than the maximum rent amount allowed.
They are allowed to raise the rent to the maximum during the next period, no matter what the rent stabilized increase happens to be.
Tenants may not be able to control how much they pay in rent from year-to-year in many situations, but rent stabilization increases do limit the damage in high population urban areas.
Most increase demands are received with 60 days’ notice, but it is up to each tenant to know what they may be expected to pay in the next 12 months with this type of living situation.
Contact your local authority with any questions.
