NYC Mayor Eric Adams Moves To Block Zohran Mamdani’s Rent Freeze

New York City Mayor Eric Adams, who's set to leave office in less than two weeks, is looking to block any possibility of a rent freeze that could be brought on by Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani.

When Mamdani ran for mayor of New York City, he vowed to freeze rent on the city’s nearly 1 million rent-stabilized apartments for four years.

Adams, who was a landlord himself and has publicly opposed a rent freeze—has announced he's adding two new members and reappointing two others to the nine-member Rent Guidelines Board that sets the rent for tenants in those apartments.

Adams appointed Lliam Finn, a financial adviser, and Sagar Sharma, deputy director at Legal Services NYC, and reappointed Arpit Gupta, an NYU Stern finance professor, and Christina Smyth, the owner of a real estate law firm.

The appointments go into effect this week.

“These respected appointees bring decades of experience in the housing sector and I am confident they will serve as responsible stewards of our city’s housing stock, using facts and data to reach the right decision for both tenants and property owners," Adams said in a written statement.

That could restrict Mamdani’s ability to appoint board members who support his rent-freeze proposal.

“These last-minute appointments by the outgoing mayor could undermine incoming Mayor-Elect Mamdani’s proposed rent freeze meant to bring urgently needed relief to tenants," Legal Aid said in a statement.

"Over the past four years under Mayor Adams, New York City renters have endured a cumulative rent hike of 12 percent—a steeper increase than all those approved collectively under his predecessor. These new appointments threaten to lock in yet another rent increase, precisely when families across the city are struggling to make ends meet."

Removing Adams’ appointees would not be easy for Mamdani. Although the mayor can fire a rent board member, the authority has never been exercised, and doing so would require showing cause and could trigger legal fights.

Even so, Sumathy Kumar, managing director of the NYS Tenant Bloc, vowed that "we're getting our rent freeze."

In a statement provided to Realtor.com®, Kumar says, "Over one million New Yorkers just voted for a mayor who will freeze the rent. And landlord profits are up 12 percent, while we’re forced to choose between paying the rent and paying for groceries. The people support it. The data supports it. And the next mayor of New York City supports it. Tenants are the majority in New York—and we’re winning a rent freeze."

Mamdani says he is still committed to making the rent freeze a reality.

"We are just as committed to a four-year rent freeze for the more than two million rent-stabilized tenants who call this city home and deserve relief amidst this affordability crisis. We will use all the tools at our disposal to deliver it and last-minute appointments do not change these facts," he said in a written statement.

Mamdani contends that freezing rents would be an immediate way to rein in housing costs and improve affordability. However, many landlords and real estate organizations argue that property owners must raise rents to cover rising expenses and remain profitable.

“Data shows that tens of thousands of rent-stabilized buildings are in severe fiscal distress," Kenny Burgos, CEO of the New York Apartment Association, which represents rent regulated building owners, said in a statement provided to Realtor.com.

“We also know that the Rent Guidelines Board members cannot save rent-stabilized housing on their own. City and state elected officials must do more to reduce costs. They must also allow for rents to rise modestly on vacant apartments so buildings have income to be properly maintained. If elected officials don’t do their part, we can kiss most rent-stabilized housing goodbye forever.” 

The Rent Guidelines Board holds an annual vote to determine whether rents on stabilized apartments will increase or remain frozen, with the next decision set for spring 2026.

Realtor.com reached out to Mayor-elect Mamdani for comment, but did not receive a response.