It ended with a walkout, but before most of the people inside the penultimate Rent Guidelines Board meeting abruptly left, they let the board know they were against proposed increases.


What You Need To Know

  • The proposed increase for the 1 million rent-stabilized apartments across the city range from a 2% to 4.5% increase for one-year leases and a 4% to 6.5% increase for two-year leases

  • The board of nine members will determine how much rent will increase. They vote on Monday at their final meeting

  • After the final vote, tenants would see the increase in rent on or after Oct. 1

In fact, they said they want a rollback.

“We are sick and tired of the Rent Guidelines Board always causing the rents to go up,” Jeanie Dubnau, a member of Riverside Edgecombe Neighborhood Association, said.

The Manhattan meeting drew tenants from Washington Heights to Chinatown, and several neighborhoods in between.

“A lot of rent-stabilized tenants in Manhattan have been facing rent increase after rent increase, and it’s just not sustainable,” Alina Shen, organizing director of CAAAV: Organizing Asian Communities, said.

The proposed increase for the 1 million rent-stabilized apartments across the city range from a 2% to 4.5% increase for one-year leases and a 4% to 6.5% increase for two-year leases.

After the final vote, tenants would see the increase in rent on or after Oct. 1.

“I need the money I have. I haven’t got any left-over money. I don’t have any left-over money,” said tenant Anne Mitcheltree. Tenant chants, at times, drowned out the testimonies of landlords in favor of the increase. “Everything is coming out of my savings. The money that I make from rent doesn’t even pay for my taxes,” Upper West Side landlord Maria Rabinovitch said.

Landlords in attendance fought back on the notion they were making exorbitant profits from their tenants.

“It’s only fair that we have small rent increases every year to cover our costs. Our utilities go up every year, our insurance goes up every year. Everybody needs to pay their fair share,” Chelsea landlord Andrew Hoffman said.

The board of nine members will determine how much rent will increase. They vote on Monday at their final meeting.

For units that become vacant after Sept. 30, the special guideline will be 27% above the maximum base rent.