If you live in a rent-stabilized apartment, your rent won’t go up when your lease renews this year. In June, the city’s Rent Guidelines Board (RGB) voted for a 0% increase on one- and two-year leases that start between Oct. 1, 2026 and Sept. 30, 2027. The freeze covers the city’s roughly 1 million rent-stabilized apartments as their leases come up, and it applies automatically.

While the RGB freeze lasts one leasing cycle, many immigrant seniors qualify for something longer: the Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption (SCRIE), which locks your rent in place for as long as you stay in the program. 

Jean Stevens, Director of Benefits Law Project at Volunteers of Legal Service told Documented, “SCRIE is an incredible program for New Yorkers to ensure that they can afford their apartments long term and remain in their communities.”

If you aren’t sure whether your current apartment is one of a million rent-controlled units in New York City, Documented published a guide on how to check your status here.

Do I qualify for SCRIE?

You may qualify for SCRIE if:

  • You are at least 62 years old.
  • The total combined income of all household members is $50,000 or less.
  • You spend more than one-third of your monthly household income on rent.
  • You live in the apartment and are named on the lease or rental agreement.
  • The apartment is rent-controlled, rent-regulated, or rent-stabilized, or you live in:
    • Certain Battery Park City and former Mitchell Lama properties
    • A limited Dividend Housing Company development
    • A Redevelopment Company development
    • A Housing Development Fund Company development

You can determine your eligibility with the official Eligibility Tool.

It’s important to know that a bill aiming to increase the income threshold from $50,000 to $75,000 is currently being held and awaiting a vote in the City Council. The state budget already approved the increase in May, but it only authorizes localities to adopt it. New York City has to implement the change on its own, which means this number could change in the near future.

How much SCRIE actually freezes?

According to the Department of Finance, SCRIE will freeze your rent at either your prior rent amount or at one-third of your monthly income, whichever is greater. Here’s an example from their website:

To qualify, your rent must be more than one-third of your household’s monthly income. 

If you don’t file taxes, the city’s income worksheet can help you add up your household’s yearly income. Divide that by 12, then by three: your monthly rent needs to be higher than the result. If you file taxes, start from the adjusted gross income on your return instead.

So let’s say, if your household income is $36,000 a year, monthly income is $3,000, so rent must be above $1,000 to qualify for this program.

The worksheet says you don’t need to count public assistance, SSI payments, reverse mortgage proceeds, gifts or inheritances as part of your income. 

How to apply?

If you are applying for SCRIE for the first time, you can use this online application portal through the Department of Finance (DOF).

Apply by mail

  • Print and complete the initial application (or call 311 for an application).
  • Mail your completed and signed application along with supporting documents to:
    Rent Freeze Program – SCRIE
    P.O. Box 3179
    Union, NJ 07083

If you live in Mitchell-Lama or Redevelopment Company development housing:

Apply in person:

  • You can visit the Manhattan Assistance Center at 66 John Street, 3rd Floor. 
  • You can also visit any Department of Finance business center. You can get help applying to SCRIE by scheduling an appointment before visiting.

Why should I consider SCRIE?

According to the city’s Freeze Your Rent website, “if you enter the program today, renew your benefits as required, and continue to meet all eligibility requirements, the amount you pay for rent today could be the same 20 years from now.”

Does SCRIE check immigration status?

No. 

Will I be subject to the “public charge” rule?

No. “Only certain types of public benefits fit into this public charge category. And a lot of it has to do with what type of benefits are federally funded,” said Stevens. SCRIE is run and paid for by New York City, and the benefit goes to your landlord as a property tax credit rather than to you as cash.

Public charge also doesn’t apply to most people already holding a green card or citizenship. If you’re planning to apply for a green card, talk to an immigration attorney first.

Does SCRIE impact landlords?

The city offers landlords various tax breaks, and SCRIE is one of them. Stevens explains that when a tenant receives SCRIE, the tenant pays their frozen out-of-pocket rent share, and the city covers the increases through a property tax credit, keeping the landlord whole.

“If a homeowner rents out their basement, the person in the basement can’t get SCRIE,” Stevens said. Some landlords shouldn’t worry about the program hurting their business: “You can only get SCRIE if you live in a certain type of apartment and the types of apartments are usually bigger buildings.”

Can my children inherit my benefit?

Yes, family members can inherit SCRIE if they co-resided with the original SCRIE recipient for at least one year and are personally eligible for SCRIE or the Disability Rent Increase Exemption (DRIE), such as being 62 or older or having a government-recognized disability. 

However, Stevens clarified that taking over the lease (handled by the landlord) and taking over the SCRIE benefit (handled by the city) are two separate processes, and both have to go through. If the children do qualify for both, they can keep the original frozen rent.

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