Strategy in Action

Tool : Commercial Rent Regulations

There have been several attempts to pass commercial rent regulations for New York City at the state and city level. First, a New York City coalition has championed city council bill Intro 93, which was introduced in 2019 and 2022, and was still pending reintroduction as of May 2025. This legislation would establish a commercial rent guidelines board that sets annual rental adjustment rates for businesses with 10,000 square feet or less of retail or professional service space and 25,000 square feet or less of manufacturing space. A second bill in the New York State Assembly, A5568, contains the same language and goals as the city council bill. As of May 2025, the assembly version was still in committee.

A third, state-level bill, also in committee as of May 2025 in the senate (S6633) and yet to be reintroduced in the assembly (A2459), would establish commercial rent regulation and more comprehensive protections for commercial tenants in New York City. This bill proposes a commercial rent guidelines board, but does not include the square footage restrictions in the city council bill. Unlike the other two bills, it gives tenants the right to renew leases, requires landlords to give at least 180 days notice for lease renewals, limits security deposits, prohibits landlord retaliation when tenants exercise their rights, and prohibits lease provisions that waive tenant rights. The bill builds on existing policies for residential tenants: New York City’s Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019, which has helped NYC residential tenants find safe and affordable housing, and the New York City Rent Stabilization law, which has allowed residential rent regulation since 1969.