At a glance
- NYC local rent standard (2026)
- 8.38%
- 5% + 3.38% CPI, per DHCR’s 2026 notice
- Hard ceiling on the standard
- 10%
- RPL §211(8)
- Law in effect in NYC since
- April 20, 2024
- HPD
- Newer buildings exempt if C of O issued on or after
- Jan 1, 2009
- For 30 years, RPL §214
How the check works
New York's Good Cause Eviction law covers many market-rate apartments in NYC. For those apartments, a rent increase above the "local rent standard" is presumed unreasonable. The standard is 5% plus the yearly change in the regional consumer price index, but never more than 10%. DHCR's 2026 notice puts the New York-area CPI change at 3.38%, so the NYC standard is 8.38%.
The tool does two things. First it screens for exemptions: if any box you tick applies, or your rent is above the high-rent cutoff for your apartment size, the law likely does not cover you. Second, it computes the most your rent can rise without being presumed unreasonable: current rent × 1.0838. It then compares that with the proposed rent.
Worked example
You rent a one-bedroom in a 1960s Brooklyn building owned by a company with dozens of buildings. Your rent is $3,200 and the renewal offer is $3,600, a 12.5% increase. None of the exemptions apply and $3,200 is well under the $6,505 high-rent cutoff for a one-bedroom. The highest increase presumed reasonable is $3,200 × 1.0838 = $3,468. The offer is $132 a month above that, so it is presumptively unreasonable.
The high-rent exemption in NYC
| Apartment size | Exempt if rent is above |
|---|---|
| Studio | $6,196 |
| 1 bedroom | $6,505 |
| 2 bedrooms | $7,130 |
| 3 bedrooms | $8,928 |
| 4 bedrooms | $9,700 |
DHCR's notice says these figures are based on HUD's fiscal year 2025 fair market rents. DHCR republishes them each year.
Edge cases
- You don't know who owns the building. The small-landlord exemption counts every unit the owners hold statewide, and when an LLC owns the building, every person with an ownership interest must own 10 or fewer. Start with how to find who owns an LLC building.
- Your unit might be rent stabilized. Stabilized units are exempt from Good Cause because stronger rules apply. Run the rent-stabilized checker first.
- Notice still matters. An increase of 5% or more needs 30 to 90 days' written notice, which must include the Good Cause notice. Check it with the rent increase notice checker.
What to do next
Good Cause is enforced in court, not by a city agency. You can try to negotiate down to the standard first; see negotiating a market-rate renewal. If the landlord sues or refuses to renew, raise Good Cause as a defense in Housing Court and look into free lawyers through Right to Counsel. For the full rules, read Good Cause Eviction explained.