Report snapshot
$4,673
Median net rent · Citywide
0.79
Open violations per unit · Citywide
14.2%
Renewals above Good Cause threshold
3.73
Tenant rating · Citywide
Three terms, used throughout
Gross rent
The advertised asking rent, before any concession is applied.
Concession
A discount on the gross rent, usually granted as “free months.”
Net-effective rent
The monthly rent after applying the concession over the full term of the lease.
Every rent figure in this report is net-effective.
Market landscape · What renters pay
Citywide median net rent down 3.9% since September 2025
The citywide median net rent in September 2026 listings was $4,673 — down 3.6% from August 2026 and down 3.9% from September 2025.
The Bronx had the highest increases at +17.5%, while Queens saw a decrease of -6.4%.
Median net-effective rents (after advertised concessions) across studio–3BR listings.
Concessions
September concession rate reached 18.7% citywide; Queens topped the list at 31.9%.
Citywide, 18.7% of September 2026 listings came with a concession — 16.6% a month earlier, a +2.1pp move.
Concessions were most common in Queens (31.9% of listings) and rarest in Manhattan (14.7%) — more than two times as many listings with concessions.
$450
Typical concession · Monthly
The median concession among September 2026 units offering one — about $5,400 across an annual lease
~1.0 mo
Free-rent equivalent · Citywide
What the typical concession is worth in free rent on a 12-month lease
~2.0 mo
Free-rent equivalent · The Bronx
The largest concessions of any borough
Good Cause buildings
The same listings look different when sorted by Good Cause coverage rather than by borough. In Good Cause buildings, just 11.8% of September 2026 listings advertised a concession, and where one appeared it was typically worth $292 a month. Outside Good Cause coverage, 26.1% came with a concession, at a typical $496 a month.
2.2×
Likelier to carry a concession
Listings in buildings without Good Cause protection were about two times likelier to advertise a concession (26.1% vs 11.8%)
70%
Higher, when offered
Concessions in buildings without Good Cause protection were 70% higher than those in protected buildings ($496 vs $292 a month)
| September 2026 | Good Cause buildings | All other listings |
|---|---|---|
| Listings with a concession | 11.8% | 26.1% |
| Typical concession, when offered | $292 | $496 |
| Median net rent | $4,593 | $4,675 |
Renter sentiment
Manhattan rated highest at 3.86, The Bronx lowest at 2.45
Owner responsiveness ranks last in 4 of 5 boroughs
3.73
Overall rating · Citywide
Average across eight rated categories, from September 2026’s published renter reviews
3.21
Owner responsiveness
Renters’ lowest-scoring category citywide
63.6%
Would recommend their building
About two in three September 2026 reviewers; 57.7% approve of their landlord
| Manhattan | Brooklyn | Queens | The Bronx | Staten Island | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 3.86 | 3.65 | 3.66 | 2.45 | 3.13 |
| Owner responsiveness | 3.46 | 2.97 | 3.13 | 1.78 | 3.16 |
| Cleanliness | 3.78 | 3.51 | 3.67 | 2.50 | 2.58 |
| Garbage management | 4.10 | 3.81 | 3.89 | 2.72 | 3.00 |
| Heat | 3.88 | 3.84 | 3.83 | 2.50 | 3.47 |
| Neighbors | 4.15 | 3.91 | 3.77 | 2.33 | 3.26 |
| Noise levels | 3.77 | 3.65 | 3.51 | 2.44 | 3.47 |
| Pest control | 3.63 | 3.53 | 3.62 | 2.17 | 2.68 |
| Water pressure | 4.10 | 4.02 | 3.84 | 3.17 | 3.42 |
| Rank | Neighborhood | Rating · September 2026 | Rating · September 2025 | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Hell’s Kitchen | 4.39 | 3.86 | ↑ 9 |
| 2 | Williamsburg | 4.27 | 3.60 | ↑ 16 |
| 3 | Kips Bay | 4.13 | 4.39 | ↓ 2 |
| 5 | Crown Heights | 3.90 | 3.14 | ↑ 25 |
| 6 | Yorkville | 3.86 | 3.59 | ↑ 13 |
Overall rating from September reviewers, and each neighborhood’s standing a year earlier.
- Pest control — 5,699 new violations, up 14.4% from September 2025.
- Heat & hot water — 828 new violations, up 29.4% from September 2025.
- Garbage management — 640 new violations, down 13.7% from September 2025.
Renewals
In September 2026, 14.2% of market-rate lease renewals were for increases above 8.79% (the Good Cause standard).
Renewing under the rules
Our analysis found that most tenants subject to Good Cause Eviction and Rent Stabilization received compliant lease renewals. However, roughly 13–16% reported rent increases exceeding permitted limits.
84%
Covered renewals under the standard
Share of September 2026 renewals in Good Cause buildings below the 8.79%/yr allowable increase
87%
Stabilized renewals under 5% / year
September 2026 cohort — against 70.9% of market-rate renewals
Building conditions & violations
Three in four open violations have gone unresolved for over a year
75.7% of open violations have gone unresolved for over a year, up 0.6 points year over year, June to June.
New York City buildings carried 0.79 open housing violations for every apartment in September 2026 — up 2.1% from September 2025, and +1.1% on August 2026.
The open-violation backlog is up 3.9% year-over-year.
0.79
Open violations per unit · Citywide
Weighted open violations per unit citywide — up from 0.77 in September 2025, up 1.1% from August
75.7%
Open violations over a year old
Share of all violations still open at the end of September 2026 that had gone unclosed for at least a year — up 0.6 points year over year, June to June
Open violations per unit, by borough
| Borough | September 2026 | YoY | MoM |
|---|---|---|---|
| NYC (Citywide) | 0.79 | +2.1% | +1.1% |
| The Bronx | 1.10 | +3.1% | +1.8% |
| Brooklyn | 0.99 | +3.2% | +1.5% |
| Staten Island | 0.66 | +5.7% | -1.4% |
| Queens | 0.55 | -1.9% | -1.0% |
| Manhattan | 0.52 | +0.8% | +0.4% |