Mayor Mamdani opens his freezer on social media to break down rent freeze for stabilized apartments
The decision fulfills a campaign pledge by Mamdani to freeze rent for New Yorkers
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.
He opened and shut the freezer door as he gave updates on what the freeze means for renters.
It's the first time in its history, New York's Rent Guidelines Board voted to freeze rents for both one-year and two-year leases for the city's one million rent-regulated apartments.
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.
"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."
The board has frozen one-year leases only three times before Thursday's vote, but had never voted to freeze two-year leases.
"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.
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.
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 would hurt their ability to maintain buildings.
"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."
In a statement following the vote, James Whelan, president of the Real Estate Board of New York (REBNY), said, "Tonight's vote may be politically popular, but it will make New York's housing crisis worse."
Under the Adams administration, landlords received 12% rent increases, while their net operating incomes rose by 30%.
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