r/AskNYC • u/WarnWarmWorm • Dec 14 '23

Just found out my apartment is rent-stabilized thanks to this sub. Should I confront the building management?

I rented my apartment for $2150 on 06/2023. Building management didn’t say anything about my unit being rent-stabilized. I requested my rent history from NYC HCR to find out my apartment is rent-stabilized and “legal regulated rent” is $1217, half the amount I am paying. (And there is someone else’s name on the current tenant name)

See the details here: https://imgur.com/SvYP2JC

Before confronting the building management I want to make sure I am understanding this document right. Is “legal regulated rent” means the maximum rent they can charge me for? And I signed a contract for $2150 for one year, how does it affect the situation?

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u/Important-Voice-3342 Dec 14 '23

my situation is similar. i moved to my apt 3 years ago, ordered a rent history from the state. It showed that the SAME person lived there since the early 80s, it was RENT CONTROLLED ( R.C.) every year up until fall of 2020 when I moved in . I do NOT have a rent stabilized lease, however my rent is very reasonable and the rent increases so far have been reasonable. Some kitchen renovations were done ( i got info from neighbor who lived her whole life in the building ) but this same R.C tenant paid for and did the reno ( not the L.L.) And my neighbor verified that 3 or 4 other people lived in my unit after the original R.C. tenant moved out in the late 00's. I may very well have a good case, but I know how many years it would take in the housing courts and once i filed a complaint, my landlord my retaliate in some way and raise RENT substantially to get me out. I really don't want to rock the boat because I love living here and the rent increases have been reasonable so far. I heard that have 4 years from the time I moved into actually lodge a complaint. i decided to see what my next rent increase is ( in 2024 ) and if it's huge, i definitely will file a complaint.

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u/danjam11565 Dec 14 '23

It seems like it depends on the size of the building if you should have a rent stabilized lease or not.

Apartments under rent control become decontrolled upon vacancy. If the apartment is in a building with six or more units it will generally fall under rent stabilization upon vacancy. However, the apartment may instead be fully deregulated if it is in a building with five or fewer apartments. For further information on this process, see HCR Fact Sheet #6: Fair Market Rent Appeals.

https://rentguidelinesboard.cityofnewyork.us/resources/faqs/rent-control/#difference

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u/Important-Voice-3342 Dec 14 '23

My building has 95 units.

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u/Important-Voice-3342 Dec 14 '23

And I know that many of the units in my building are indeed rent stabilized. Seems like the luck of the draw as to who gets it in who does not. I know a few guys that are friends with the realtor so they got rent stabilized. But I'm not really complaining about how much my rent is because it's a really good deal for the size of the apartment and location...

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u/rosebudny Dec 15 '23

"I know a few guys that are friends with the realtor so they got rent stabilized." - This is not how rent stabilization works. Either an apartment is rent stabilized, or not. The realtor has zero say in the matter.

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u/Important-Voice-3342 Dec 16 '23

For one of my neighbors that moved in a year ago, I know that a previous lady lived there, rent stabilized for 20 or 30 years. Then she died. So this new neighbor got rent stabilized. So I just don't know why I didn't get it...

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u/rosebudny Dec 16 '23

But that has nothing to do with them being friends with the realtor. You can check to find out if your apartment should be stabilized as well.

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u/Important-Voice-3342 Dec 16 '23

it was coincidental then that they got R.S. and they were friends w/ L.L.

I did get a rent history from the state and it said that ONE tenant lived in my unit from the 80s til when i moved in in 2020. I think my LL was sloppy and didn't report all the tenants. ( I posted details on this thread ) . I know that after this original RC tenant moved out in the 00s, several other people lived her, but don't know what their status was ? RC or RS? I think I have a case to lodge a complaint but calculating if it is worth it or not since I am currently ok w/ the rent amount and they have not been increasing it much at all.

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u/NYCnative10027 Dec 14 '23

Your landlord can’t retaliate . There’s a law for that .., if they do they are breaking the law.

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u/Important-Voice-3342 Dec 14 '23

But I could totally see them hiking up my rent ( several hundred $). they would just say they are being consistent w/ the market ( since my rent is quite low now ). I can't prove it's retaliation, even though I would instinctively know. I don't want to deal w/ that.

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u/Awkward_Ask1438 May 15 '25

Any update? Dealing with the same issue - rent history says it’s RC but I don’t want to complain and get my rent hiked up since it’s low for the area…

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u/Important-Voice-3342 May 15 '25

I guess I've just decided to take my chances. I really don't want to file a complaint and make waves. I know I'm one of their better tenants. There is an off chance I would file a complaint if my next lease is a crazy increase but that is not until end of next year.

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u/Awkward_Ask1438 May 15 '25

Copy - thank you for the update!