New York Rent Increase Laws for Landlords (2026)

Updated September 2026 · Written for self-managing landlords · Not legal advice

In short: New York requires 30 days' notice before a rent increase takes effect, and there is no cap on the amount.

What New York law requires

New York is one of the 19 US jurisdictions with a statute that speaks directly to raising rent. It requires 30 days' notice before an increase takes effect, in writing.

Citation: N.Y. Real Prop. Law § 226-c · read the source

The notice is not one number. 30 days if the tenant has lived there under a year; 60 days for one to two years; 90 days for two years or more.

How much can you raise it in New York?

There is no statutory ceiling. No cap on free-market units, but the notice lengthens with the length of the tenancy for any increase of 5% or more. Rent-stabilized units are a separate regime capped annually by the local Rent Guidelines Board.

Only four US jurisdictions cap the size of an increase - California, Oregon, Washington and the District of Columbia. New York is not one of them, so the amount is a business decision, not a legal one. The usual constraint is practical: a tenant who leaves over an increase costs you a turnover, and a turnover costs more than the increase was worth.

Local rules override this. New York City and other localities under rent stabilization cap annual increases through their Rent Guidelines Boards. Localities that have opted into Good Cause Eviction also treat increases above a local standard as presumptively unreasonable.

Can you raise rent mid-lease in New York?

Not unless the lease says so. A fixed-term lease fixes the rent for its term, whatever the statute does or does not require about notice. An increase belongs at renewal, or on a month-to-month tenancy after proper notice.

Serving the notice so it holds up

Most rent increases that fall apart fall apart on the date, not the amount: the notice went out too late, or nobody can prove when it went out. Count the days from delivery, not from the day you wrote it, and keep the proof.

LandlordPro generates the notice against the state's rule, dates it, records when it was sent, and carries the new rent onto the rent roll on the right day so the ledger and the notice agree.

Generate the notice, keep the proof

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Frequently asked questions

How much notice does a landlord have to give to raise rent in New York?

30 days in writing, under N.Y. Real Prop. Law § 226-c.

Is there a limit on how much rent can be raised in New York?

No. New York sets no cap on the size of an increase. Only California, Oregon, Washington and the District of Columbia cap the amount.

Can rent be raised during a lease in New York?

No, unless the lease itself provides for it. A fixed-term lease fixes the rent for the term; an increase belongs at renewal or on a month-to-month tenancy after notice.

Does a New York rent increase notice have to be in writing?

Yes.

Do local rules change this in New York?

New York City and other localities under rent stabilization cap annual increases through their Rent Guidelines Boards. Localities that have opted into Good Cause Eviction also treat increases above a local standard as presumptively unreasonable.