New York Rent Increase & Late Fee Laws
New York rules on rent increases & late fees for renters and landlords, with the statute or official page behind each answer. Last verified: 2026-10-22.
Short answer: Local rent control/stabilization allowed. Rent stabilization covers many NYC buildings and other localities that declare a housing emergency (allowed statewide since June 15, 2019). Good Cause Eviction Law (RPL Art. N.Y. RPL §§ 211, 212, 213, 214, 216
The rules in New York
| Rent control / increase limits | Local rent control/stabilization allowed. Rent stabilization covers many NYC buildings and other localities that declare a housing emergency (allowed statewide since June 15, 2019). Good Cause Eviction Law (RPL Art. 6-A, 2024) applies automatically in NYC and in localities that opt in: rent increases above the 'local rent standard' (5% + regional CPI, capped at 10%) are presumed unreasonable and eviction/non-renewal requires good cause. Local rent standard: RPL § 211(7)-(8) https://www.nysenate.gov/legislation/laws/RPP/211. Exemptions include small landlords (default 10 or fewer units statewide) and units renting above 245% of fair market rent (or local threshold) (RPL §§ 211(3), 213, 214). Article 6-A is scheduled for repeal June 15, 2034. Stabilization description from NY AG guide. Opt-in localities outside NYC as of May 4, 2026, per DHCR's annual notice (https://hcr.ny.gov/good-cause-eviction-law-notice-august-2026): Cities of Albany, Beacon, Binghamton, Hudson, Ithaca, Kingston, Middletown, New Rochelle, Newburgh, Poughkeepsie, Rochester and White Plains; Towns of Fishkill and Poughkeepsie; Villages of Catskill, Croton-on-Hudson, New Paltz, Nyack and Tarrytown. These localities set their own exemption thresholds: most exempt units above 345% of fair market rent (Kingston 300%, Catskill 275%, Middletown and Rochester 245%), and all define a small landlord as owning no more than one unit in New York State (White Plains: no more than four). DHCR's 2024-2025 CPI figures for the local rent standard: 3.38% (NY-Newark-Jersey City area counties) and 3.15% (Northeast region, rest of state). |
|---|---|
| Late fees | Rent is not late until more than 5 days after the due date. Late fee capped at the lesser of $50 or 5% of monthly rent. Added by HSTPA 2019. § 238-a also bars application fees and caps background/credit check fees at the lesser of actual cost or $20. Source: N.Y. RPL § 238-a(2) |
Free calculators
- Late Fee Checker — Check a late fee against your state's cap and grace period.
- Rent Increase Calculator — In states with a statewide rent cap, see the most your rent can go up this year.
Related questions
- Can a landlord raise the rent in the middle of a lease?
- How much can a landlord charge for a late fee?
- How much notice does a landlord have to give before raising the rent?
- Can a landlord evict you for no reason?
New York vs. neighboring states
| State | Rent control / increase limits | Late fees |
|---|---|---|
| New York | Local rent control/stabilization allowed. Rent stabilization covers many NYC buildings and other localities that declare a housing emergency (allowed statewide since June 15, 2019). Good Cause Eviction Law (RPL Art. 6-A, 2024) applies automatically in NYC and in localities that opt in: rent increases above the 'local rent standard' (5% + regional CPI, capped at 10%) are presumed unreasonable and eviction/non-renewal requires good cause. N.Y. RPL §§ 211, 212, 213, 214, 216 | Rent is not late until more than 5 days after the due date. Late fee capped at the lesser of $50 or 5% of monthly rent. N.Y. RPL § 238-a(2) |
| Connecticut | No statewide rent control or rent cap. Towns may create Fair Rent Commissions, which can rule that a rent or increase is excessive. P.A. 22-30 required specified larger towns to have a commission by July 1, 2023. Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 7-148b to 7-148f; P.A. 22-30 (as summarized in Judicial Branch JDP-HM-31) | No late fee until the 9-day grace period expires (4 days for weekly). Late charge must be in a written agreement and may not exceed the lesser of (1) $5 per day up to $50, or (2) 5% of the delinquent payment (5% of the tenant's share if rent is partly paid by a government or charity). Only one late charge per delinquent payment. Conn. Gen. Stat. §§ 47a-15a(b), 47a-4(a)(8)-(9) |
| Massachusetts | Banned statewide by state law, and the ban is still in force. 'No city or town may enact, maintain or enforce rent control of any kind,' except a narrow program in a municipality that accepts c. 40P. Owner compliance with that program must be voluntary after 6 months, it cannot cover owners of fewer than 10 units or units with a fair market rent above $400, and the town must pay owners the difference from general funds. There is no statewide cap on rent increases. Rent control is NOT on the November 3, 2026 state ballot. The Secretary of the Commonwealth lists nine binding statewide questions (Questions 1-8 are initiative laws and Question 9 is a referendum on the 2024 firearms law), and none of them deals with rent control or rent stabilization. The rent-control initiative (Initiative Petition 25-21, 'An Initiative Petition to Protect Tenants by Limiting Rent Increases') was challenged at the Supreme Judicial Court in Cella v. Attorney General, SJC-13893. G.L. c. 40P, §§ 3-4; Secretary of the Commonwealth, 2026 State Election Ballot Questions; Cella v. Attorney General, SJC-13893 | No interest or penalty for late rent may be charged until rent is 30 days overdue. There is no statutory dollar or percentage cap. G.L. c. 186, § 15B(1)(c) |
| New Jersey | No statewide rent control and no state preemption. Municipalities may adopt rent control or rent leveling ordinances. Multiple dwellings built after 1987 are exempt from municipal limits on periodic increases for the period of the initial mortgage amortization or 30 years from completion, whichever is less. Without initial mortgage financing, the exemption is 30 years. N.J.S.A. 2A:42-84.2, 2A:42-84.5; municipal ordinances | No general statutory cap was found. Senior citizens receiving Social Security old-age, Railroad Retirement, or other government pensions, and recipients of SSDI, SSI, or Work First New Jersey benefits, get a 5-business-day grace period when rent is due on the 1st. No late charge may be imposed for that period. N.J.S.A. 2A:42-6.1 to -6.3 |
| Pennsylvania | No statewide rent control or rent-increase cap, and no statute that expressly bans local rent control. No statute authorizes it either, and home-rule municipalities may not set duties or requirements for businesses unless a statewide statute expressly allows it, so a local rent cap would face a serious legal challenge. 53 Pa.C.S. § 2962(c)(2), (e), (f) (Home Rule Charter and Optional Plans Law) | No statutory cap. None in statute |
| Vermont | No statewide rent control or rent-increase cap. Landlord must give at least 60 days' actual notice of a rent increase, effective the first day of the next rental period. Local rent control: no state statute expressly preempts or authorizes it, and the city charters of Burlington, Montpelier and Winooski do not authorize rent control. Burlington's charter lets the City Council, by ordinance, require at least 90 days' written notice of a rent increase, and (where there is no written lease) at least 90 days' notice of a no-cause termination for tenancies under two years and 120 days for longer ones, but it does not allow limits on the amount of rent. 9 V.S.A. 4455(b); 24 App. V.S.A. ch. 3, § 48(64)-(65) (Burlington charter) | No statutory cap or grace period. 9 V.S.A. ch. 137 |
City rules that may add to state law
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Compare rent increases & late fees in all 50 states and DC →
New York Rent Increase & Late Fee Laws FAQ
Is there rent control or a limit on rent increases in New York?
Local rent control/stabilization allowed. Rent stabilization covers many NYC buildings and other localities that declare a housing emergency (allowed statewide since June 15, 2019). Good Cause Eviction Law (RPL Art. 6-A, 2024) applies automatically in NYC and in localities that opt in: rent increases above the 'local rent standard' (5% + regional CPI, capped at 10%) are presumed unreasonable and eviction/non-renewal requires good cause. (N.Y. RPL §§ 211, 212, 213, 214, 216)
Is there a limit on late fees in New York?
Rent is not late until more than 5 days after the due date. Late fee capped at the lesser of $50 or 5% of monthly rent. (N.Y. RPL § 238-a(2))
General legal information, not legal advice. Laws change and local rules can differ; check the linked official source or talk to a lawyer about your situation.