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Renting & housing · Your right

Rent increase notice in New York: 30, 60 or 90 days, and the Good Cause limits

Updated By The editorial teamNot reviewed by an attorney — based on the official sources below

In short

Under Real Property Law § 226-c, if your landlord plans to renew your tenancy with a rent increase of 5% or more, or not to renew it at all, you must get written notice in advance: at least 30 days if you've lived there less than a year, 60 days if between one and two years, and 90 days if two years or more (or if you have a two-year lease). If the notice is late, your current rent and terms continue until the full notice period has run from the date you actually got it. In New York City and towns that opted in, the Good Cause Eviction Law also treats increases above a yearly 'local rent standard' as presumptively unreasonable. Rent-stabilized apartments follow separate rules.

Read on for the details, the exceptions and the sources.

In plain words

Non-renewal
When the landlord decides not to offer you a new lease or continue your month-to-month tenancy.
Good Cause Eviction Law
A 2024 state law (Real Property Law Article 6-A) that protects many tenants of unregulated apartments in New York City and in towns that adopt it.
Local rent standard
Under Good Cause, an increase equal to 5% plus the yearly inflation rate, but never more than 10%. Increases above it are presumed unreasonable.
Rent-stabilized
An apartment whose increases are set each year by a Rent Guidelines Board, with a right to renew the lease.

What is it?

Real Property Law § 226-c requires a landlord to give you written notice when they intend to offer a renewal with a rent increase of 5% or more above your current rent, or when they don't intend to renew your tenancy at all. The notice period depends on how long you've lived there or how long your lease is.

Since August 18, 2024, the notice must also include or attach the Good Cause Eviction notice (Real Property Law § 231-c). It must state whether your unit is covered by the Good Cause law and, if it isn't, why; if the unit is covered, it must give the lawful reason for a non-renewal or the justification for an increase above the local rent standard (§ 226-c(1)(a)).

Who qualifies?

Tenants of residential apartments and houses across New York State, whether you have a written lease, a lease that's ending, or a month-to-month arrangement (the Attorney General's guide notes that month-to-month tenancies follow the same timeline). The required notice is based on the total time you've lived in the unit or the length of your lease, whichever is longer (§ 226-c(2)(a)).

Exceptions

  • Co-op shareholders: a cooperative housing corporation doesn't have to give this notice to a tenant who owns shares in it, apart from certain government-supervised co-ops (§ 226-c(1)(b)).
  • Increases under 5%: § 226-c's notice isn't required, but a landlord still can't change your rent during a lease unless you both agree.
  • Rent-stabilized and rent-controlled apartments: increases are set by the Rent Guidelines Board and the state housing agency (DHCR), and renewal follows its own timeline.
  • Good Cause doesn't cover every unit. Among the exemptions in § 214: small landlords (generally 10 units or fewer statewide), owner-occupied buildings with 10 or fewer units, condos and co-ops, buildings with a certificate of occupancy issued on or after January 1, 2009 (for 30 years), regulated or income-restricted units, and units renting for more than 245% of HUD's fair market rent in NYC.

How much?

The notice law itself doesn't cap the increase. For an unregulated apartment not covered by Good Cause, the landlord may ask for any new rent at renewal, provided proper notice is given.

If your unit is covered by Good Cause, a yearly increase above the local rent standard (5% plus the regional inflation rate, capped at 10%) is presumed unreasonable (§ 211(7)–(8), § 216(1)(a)). It isn't a hard cap: the landlord can try to justify a higher increase, for example with rising taxes or significant repairs. But if you're sued for unpaid rent that comes from an unreasonable increase, or the landlord tries to evict you for refusing one, the law is on your side (§ 216(1)(a) and (j)). For New York City, DHCR's 2026 notice lists a 3.38% inflation figure, which makes the local rent standard 8.38%.

For rent-stabilized apartments in New York City, the Rent Guidelines Board's rate for leases starting between October 1, 2026 and September 30, 2027 is 0% for both one- and two-year leases, according to DHCR's Fact Sheet #26.

How is it calculated?

  1. Check whether the increase is 5% or more

    Multiply your current monthly rent by 0.05. On a $2,000 rent that's $100, so any increase of $100 or more requires a § 226-c notice.

  2. Find your notice period

    Less than one year in the unit and no lease of a year or more: 30 days. One to two years, or a lease of at least one but under two years: 60 days. More than two years, or a lease of two years or more: 90 days (§ 226-c(2)(b)–(d)).

  3. Use whichever is longer

    If you've lived there three years on one-year leases, your occupancy counts, so you're owed 90 days.

  4. Compare with the date you actually got the notice

    If it arrived late, your old rent and terms continue until the full period has passed from that date (§ 226-c(1)(a)).

What documents do you need?

  • Your current and past leases
  • Proof of your move-in date
  • The notice and when and how you received it (keep the envelope or e-mail)
  • Your rent payment history
  • The Good Cause notice attached to it, if any

How do you get it?

You don't apply for anything: the landlord has to send the notice. If you receive an increase or a non-renewal without proper notice, write back and point out § 226-c, the notice you were owed, and the date you'll continue paying the current rent until. Check whether your unit is covered by Good Cause; the notice itself must say so.

What if they refuse?

  • If the notice was late or missing, you can keep paying your current rent until the notice period runs out, and raise § 226-c as a defense if you're sued.
  • If the increase or non-renewal comes within a year after you complained about conditions, it may be retaliation, which § 223-b presumes and forbids.
  • If your unit is covered by Good Cause and you're sued for unpaid rent caused by an increase above the local rent standard, ask the court to treat it as unreasonable (§ 216(1)(a)).
  • Get free legal help: in New York City, call 311 and ask for the Tenant Helpline.

Deadlines

  • 30, 60 or 90 days' written notice before the increase or non-renewal takes effect, usually counted back from the end of your lease (§ 226-c(2)).
  • For Good Cause units, a landlord seeking reasonable lease changes at renewal must give written notice at least 30 and no more than 90 days before the lease expires (§ 216(1)(j)).
  • DHCR publishes the Good Cause figures by August 1 each year (§ 211(7)), so the local rent standard changes yearly.

Figures that change

  • Good Cause inflation figure, NYC region (2024 to 2025): 3.38% (as of 2026-10-30; Good Cause Eviction Law — Required DHCR Notice (August 2026))
  • Good Cause local rent standard in NYC (5% + inflation, max 10%): 8.38% (as of 2026-10-30; Good Cause Eviction Law — Required DHCR Notice (August 2026))
  • NYC rent-stabilized guideline, leases starting 10/1/2026–9/30/2027: 0% (1-year), 0% (2-year) (as of 2026-10-30; Fact Sheet #26: Guide to Rent Increases for Rent Stabilized Apartments)

Frequently asked questions

Can my landlord raise the rent in the middle of my lease?

Not unless your lease allows it or you agree. The Attorney General's guide notes that a lease can't be changed while it's in effect unless both sides agree. Increases normally come at renewal.

I'm month-to-month. Does the notice rule apply?

Yes. The Attorney General's guide explains that a landlord ending or changing a month-to-month tenancy must give notice on the same 30/60/90-day timeline as for a lease.

My landlord sent a notice by text. Is that enough?

Section 226-c requires written notice but doesn't spell out a delivery method. Keep a copy of whatever you received and note the date: the notice period runs from when you actually got it.

How do I know if Good Cause covers my apartment?

The notice your landlord sends with a renewal or non-renewal must say whether the unit is covered and, if not, why. DHCR's Good Cause page and yearly notice list the exemptions, the opted-in towns and the current figures.

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Official sources

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This page is general information based on the official sources listed, current as of the update date. It is not legal advice and does not replace a review of your own situation; if a case is already in court, a deadline is close, the amount is large, or there are criminal, immigration or family-law consequences, talk to a lawyer or legal aid.