New York City board approves major Mamdani campaign promise: a rent freeze
Two down, one to go.
Mayor Zohran Mamdani has now made substantive progress on two of his three principal campaign promises: universal childcare, free buses and...freeze the rent.
New York City's Rent Guidelines Board, the City organization responsible for setting rent increases for the >40% of NYC rentals subject to New York State's Rent Stabilization Law, has freezed the rent on 1 and 2 year leases. This is not the first time the board has freezed the rent (it did so multiple times under De Blasio, though for only 1 year leases), but it is the first time in a little while and the first ever freeze for 2 year leases. The board did not do so under Eric Adams, and its consecutive and sizeable rent increases earned him the ire of tenant organizations...and the current mayor.
As a parting "gift" then lame duck Adams attempted to pack the board with his own appointees. This was reasonably viewed as Eric trying to block a rent freeze, although most of these appointees subsequently resigned. Allowing Mamdani to appoint a majority of the board. And now we see the results.
Along with the policies listed in his Block by Block housing plan, which include enforcing corrections for housing code violations, rehabbing NYCHA, building 200,000 affordable units, large-scale rezoning and speeding up housing construction, this rent freeze represents a pillar of Zohran's housing plan. We have many tenant organizations to thank for the rent freeze like the New York State Tenant Bloc.
Link to article on topic: https://www.cityandstateny.com/policy/2026/06/new-york-city-freezing-rent/414448/?oref=csny-homepage-top-story