NYC Housing Guides
7 guides · updated for 2026

NYC rental guides, curated for trust.

Long-form guides for the most important NYC rental questions. Verify protected apartments, move fast when a listing appears, and avoid the common NYC rental traps.
  • Sourced from NYC official records
  • Updated 2026
  • 100% free
The issue

Everything you need to rent in NYC.

From protected housing to the statutes that govern every renewal. Each guide is long-form, sourced, and updated when the rules change.

  1. Protected housing

    Rent-stabilized apartments in NYC

    Verify the building, request rent history, and read every listing through a DHCR lens — plus the live map of every stabilized listing in NYC.

    Updated Jan 12, 2026
  2. The complete playbook

    The complete NYC apartment hunting guide

    Nine chapters covering the FARE Act, Good Cause, the 40x rule, every borough, the application packet, scams, and negotiation. The full playbook.

    Updated Jan 23, 2026
  3. Statutory rights

    Lease takeovers in NYC, explained

    How RPL 226-b(1) actually works, what to do if the landlord refuses, and how to avoid takeover scams. Plus the live map of every active takeover in NYC.

    Updated Feb 2, 2026
  4. Seasonal strategy

    Summer sublets, and how to play the seasons

    Summer is peak demand and peak prices. How to use a short sublet to land now and sign a real lease in the winter trough — plus where the inventory is and the scams to dodge.

    Updated May 30, 2026
  5. Renewal protections

    Good Cause Eviction, explained

    Who is covered, when a rent increase is presumed unreasonable, and what to do if a landlord refuses to renew. The 5% + CPI standard in plain English.

    Updated Mar 11, 2026
  6. Renter rights

    Broker fees, after the FARE Act

    Who pays the broker now, what fees are still legal, and what to do if a listing tries to charge you. The Local Law 119 / GOL § 238-a rules.

    Updated Mar 11, 2026
  7. Renter rights

    That good faith deposit is probably illegal

    A broker asking you to “put money down to hold the apartment” almost always can’t. The RPL § 238-a rule, the co-op/condo exception, and how to get your money back.

    Updated Jun 8, 2026
Coming soon
  • Security Deposit Law NYC

    Deposit caps, return deadlines, and the deductions landlords can legally make under GOL § 7-108.