New York City will freeze rent for 1m apartments in big victory for Mamdani

A public hearing on rent-stabilized apartments in New York City on Thursday. Photograph: David Dee Delgado/Reuters View image in fullscreen A public hearing on rent-stabilized apartments in New York City on Thursday. Photograph: David Dee Delgado/Reuters New York City will freeze rent for 1m apartments in big victory for Mamdani City’s mayor has consistently argued that rising housing costs have made it increasingly unaffordable A New York City housing board has voted to freeze rent for approximately 1m apartments. In a major victory for Zohran Mamdani, the mayor who campaigned on a pledge to freeze rent, the Rent Guidelines Board voted 7-1 on Thursday to freeze increases on one- and two-year leases. The decision will provide relief to tenants in more than 1m rent-stabilized apartments, representing over 40% of the city’s rental housing. Mamdani hailed the vote, calling it a “historic victory for New York City tenants”. He added: “After reviewing the data and hearing from New Yorkers across the city, the independent RGB has delivered a freeze on one-year leases, and the first-ever freeze on two-year leases in our city’s history. This is the relief that working people across our city deserve. “I’m grateful for the board members’ thoughtful consideration of the data, including tenants’ ability to pay, cost of living and building operating costs. I’ll continue working to deliver a more affordable city by building and preserving affordable housing, lowering building operating costs like insurance, and ensuring tenants know their rights,” he added. Among the board’s nine members, six were appointed by Mamdani. One member, Christina Smyth, who had been appointed by Eric Adams, resigned shortly before the vote, saying in a statement that she was “resigning because the process I was appointed to take part in is not administered the way the law requires”. “The Rent Guidelines Board has stopped being a fact-finding body. It has become a body that starts with an answer and vibe codes its way backward to justify it … This rebuilt board was required to deliver a rent freeze. Everything since has been theater,” Smyth added. Responding to Smyth’s resignation, the Rent Guidelines Board chair, Chantella Mitchell, defended the board’s process, saying in a statement: “I was surprised to receive Christina’s resignation this morning. I want to take this opportunity to affirm the independence with which this year’s board members have served, along with the rigor and integrity demonstrated by the RGB staff in preparing and presenting data.” The vote has drawn mixed reactions. Ann Korchak, board president of the Small Property Owners of New York, criticized the decision, calling it an “absolute farce”. “Proceeding with one of the most consequential rent votes in recent times with half of its owner representation undermined the balance and fairness of this process … The resignation of the only principled RGB member and the board’s only meaningful advocate for small owner