Local Law 86: What the Rent Transparency Act Requires of NYC Landlords

This law applies to any NYC residential building with at least one rent-stabilized unit — including mixed buildings with both market-rate and stabilized apartments.

Not sure if your building has stabilized units? Check your property's registration history through DHCR's online building lookup.

The notice must be displayed in every common area tenants regularly use — lobbies, hallways, laundry rooms, mailbox areas. It must be posted in both English and Spanish.

The required notice language, as mandated by HPD, states:

This building contains one or more units that are subject to the Rent Stabilization Law of 1969. To find out if your unit is registered as rent stabilized, contact DHCR at 718-264-3800 or visit hcr.ny.gov. Owners must file annual registrations with DHCR. Owners that fail to file may be subject to penalties.

Download the official notice directly from HPD's Required Signage page.

HPD can issue violations for non-compliance, which appear on your building's public record. Open violations:

• Complicate your ability to certify corrections on other violations
• Can result in civil penalties
• Are visible to prospective tenants and buyers

Compliance takes about 10 minutes. The risk of ignoring it isn't worth it.

Local Law 86 does not replace your annual rent registration with DHCR — that obligation still stands. This law adds the physical posting requirement on top of existing registration duties. If you're current on DHCR filings, you still need to verify the notice is physically posted in your building.

Three steps:

• Download the bilingual notice from HPD's website
• Print and post in every common area — lobbies, hallways, laundry rooms, mail areas
• Document it — note the date posted and which locations, in case of a future inspection

That's it. No filing required, no fees. Just print and post.