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Is my apartment rent stabilized?

If your building was built before 1974 and has six or more apartments, there is a good chance your unit is rent stabilized — but the only way to know for certain is to check. Here are four free ways to find out, from fastest to most authoritative.

1. Look up the building

Rent stabilization is tied to the building, so the fastest first check is the building itself. Find A Crib maps every building that appears in the NYS DHCR rent-stabilized building registration files. Search your address — if it is listed, the building has registered stabilized units with the state.

🔎 Check any building on the Find A Crib map →

Being on the list means the building registers stabilized units; it does not by itself prove that your specific unit is stabilized today, which is why step 2 matters.

2. Request your rent history from DHCR (the definitive answer)

Every tenant has the right to request the official rent history for their apartment from NYS Homes and Community Renewal (HCR/DHCR), free of charge. The rent history shows the registered rent for each year and whether the unit has been registered as rent stabilized. This is the authoritative record. You can request it online through the HCR rent-regulation portal or by contacting DHCR directly. It typically arrives within a few weeks.

3. Read your lease

A rent-stabilized lease must include a Rent Stabilization Rider (in English and Spanish) explaining your rights, and renewals come on a DHCR renewal-lease form (RTP-8). If your lease has that rider or you receive an official renewal offer with 1- and 2-year options at a set percentage, your unit is almost certainly stabilized. The absence of a rider is not proof it is unregulated, though — some owners fail to provide required paperwork.

4. Look for the signs of coverage

Your apartment is more likely to be rent stabilized if:

The building was built before January 1, 1974 and has six or more units.
The building received a tax benefit such as 421-a or J-51 (these can bring newer buildings into stabilization for the benefit period).
You were offered a lease renewal rather than being asked to sign a brand-new market lease each year.

Rent stabilization covers roughly one million apartments — the single largest source of below-market housing in New York City — so this is well worth checking before you sign or renew.

What if I think my rent is illegal?

If your rent history shows a large, unexplained jump, or you were never offered a stabilized lease you should have been, you may have an overcharge claim. Bring your rent history to a tenant attorney or a legal-aid group — do not rely on this page for a legal determination.

Official sources

Find A Crib is an informational tool, not a law firm. This guide is general information about NYC rent stabilization, not legal advice. For your specific situation, contact DHCR or a tenant attorney/legal-aid group.