NEW YORK (WABC) — Mayor Zohran Mamdani took a victory lap on social media, reporting the rent freeze for rent stabilized apartments from his own freezer.<\/p>\n
He opened and shut the freezer door as he gave updates on what the freeze means for renters.<\/p>\n
For the first time in its history, New York’s Rent Guidelines Board voted to freeze rents<\/a> for both one-year and two-year leases for the city’s one million rent-regulated apartments.<\/p>\n Landlords will be forbidden from raising rents for two years on any lease written on or after October 1st.<\/p>\n The board voted 7-1 in favor of the rent freeze on Thursday night, as tenants, packed inside El Museo del Barrio in East Harlem, unleashed unbridled joy and relief.<\/p>\n “This is no longer just a city that’s a playground for the rich,” said tenant Lex Rountree. “This is a city for the working people making it run, and we are making it run for us, and I am so overjoyed, and we are finally here after so much fighting, after years of struggling to figure out how we’re going to make ends meet.”<\/p>\n The board has frozen one-year leases only three times before Thursday’s vote, but had never voted to freeze two-year leases.<\/p>\n “For years, landlords have run this city, and this is a new era of tenant power. We have a rent freeze mayor. Hundreds of people came out and testified, thousands online. Landlords’ days are over; tenants are in power now and it feels amazing,” said K Agbebiyi of the Tenant Bloc.<\/p>\n The outcome now fulfills one of Mayor Mamdani’s signature campaign promises, which was set in motion after he appointed half a dozen members of the nine-member board.<\/p>\n Mamdani insisted that landlords can weather a rent freeze, but landlords lambasted the decision, who say they are struggling with rising costs, like fuel, oil and insurance. They say a rent freeze will hurt their ability to maintain buildings.<\/p>\n “We’re going to have to cut back. We’re gonna have to lay off some of the people,” said landlord Humberto Lopes. “We’re gonna have to lay off supers. Only choice, it’s a business. People don’t get it. This is a business. It’s not a choice that this is for free.”<\/p>\n On Friday, housing advocates protested the mayor’s refusal to expand housing vouchers, known as CityFHEPS.<\/p>\n City Council Speaker Julie Menin won’t approve the city budget without it.<\/p>\n “In the midst of an affordability crisis, CityFHEPS is a lifeline for the most vulnerable, providing rental assistance for over 65,000 households,” Menin said. “But it could be providing more.”<\/p>\n ———-<\/p>\n * Get Eyewitness News Delivered<\/a> <\/p>\n * More New York City news<\/a><\/p>\n * Send us a news tip<\/a><\/p>\n * Download the abc7NY app for breaking news alerts<\/a> <\/p>\n * Download our connected TV app<\/a> <\/p>\n
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