Despite intense lobbying from tenants’ advocacy groups, the city won’t get a rent rollback this year — but a freeze is still on the table.
The Rent Guidelines Board on Tuesday voted to consider hiking the cost of rent-stabilized apartments between 0% and 2% for one-year leases, and 0.5% to 3.5% for two-year leases.
An emotional crowd, made up primarily of tenants, attended the raucous board meeting at the CUNY Graduate Center where the vote took place — and erupted in boos.
“Roll back, roll back!” many chanted.
The city has never had a rollback — in which landlords are forced to lower their rents — but hopes were high this would be the year after the board’s survey of landlords found their costs only increased by 0.5%.
Mayor de Blasio last year said he wanted a rent freeze — which the board has never approved in its history.
He has a better chance of getting what he wants this year. The board is now made up completely of his appointees.
Last year, some were holdovers from former Mayor Michael Bloomberg.
The final vote is in June.
