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NYC RENT-STABILIZED BUILDING WITH OPEN RENTALS

How to Tell If a NYC Building Contains Rent Stabilized Units

In general, rent stabilized buildings that contain stabilized units:

• Contain 6 or more units
• Were built before 1974 (or are newer buildings receiving tax exemptions)
• Are not co-ops or condos

However, not all apartments in these buildings may be rent stabilized due to a provision in the law (effective from 1993 though June 13, 2019) that allowed for an apartment that reached a certain rent threshold to be deregulated. An apartment may have been deregulated if its rent exceeded:

• $2,000, if a tenant initially moved into the apartment between 1993 and June 23, 2011. 
• $2,500, if a tenant initially moved into the apartment between June 24, 2011 and June 14, 2015. 
• $2,700, if a tenant initially moved into the apartment between June 15, 2015 and December 31, 2017.
• $2,733.75, if a tenant initially moved into the apartment between January 1, 2018 and December 31, 2018.
• $2,774.76, if a tenant initially moved into the apartment between January 1, 2019 and June 13, 2019.

Effective June 14, 2019, the Rent Laws of 2019 prohibited the deregulation of rent stabilized apartments due to high-rent deregulation. Previously deregulated apartments, however, remain deregulated.

Also, there are additional exceptions to these rules. For instance, if you moved into the apartment before the building was converted to a co-op, the apartment may be stabilized. Also, newly constructed buildings that receive 421-a or J-51 tax exemptions may be rent stabilized, even if the rent exceeds the above rent thresholds.

Our rent stabilized building listings only include properties whose owners registered with New York State Homes and Community Renewal (HCR). If an owner registered after the compilation of these lists or not at all, a building will not be included in our listings, yet it may still contain rent stabilized apartments.

The only way to know if your apartment is rent stabilized is to contact NYS Homes and Community Renewal (HCR), the state agency which administers the rent laws. You can use the Ask HCR web portal to find out if your apartment is rent stabilized.

NYC Rent Stabilized Building Listings

• Listings are in pdf format. If you are unable to view the pdf, download the Adobe reader for free. If you are having trouble installing or using the Adobe reader, please see their troubleshooting page.
• If you are looking up a particular building and are not sure of its zip code, you can find it on the U.S. Postal Service website.
• HCR provides a list of definitions of Rent Regulation and Building Status terms as well as a further explanation of buildings contained in these listings. For those buildings listed as having a status of 421-a (1-15), 421-a (16) or 421-a (17), those terms are explained on HPD’s 421-a webpage.

• Manhattan
• Brooklyn
• Bronx
• Queens
• Staten Island

Data Source: 2024 Building Registrations filed with NYS Homes and Community Renewal (HCR), as of November 2025.

Practical, NYC-specific guide to the best types of places—by neighborhood category—for parents to safely, neutrally, and reliably handle child drop-offs and pick-ups in custody and co-parenting situations.

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CORE PRINCIPLES NYC COURTS & MEDIATORS EXPECT

Across NYC, the best exchange locations share these traits:

• Public & neutral (not one parent’s home)
• Predictable hours
• Safe, well-lit
• Low emotional friction
• Easy access (transit + parking if possible)

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MANHATTAN

Upper West Side / Upper East Side

Best locations

• Public school entrances (during school hours)
• Public libraries (NYPL branches)
• Large grocery stores (Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods)
• Playground entrances (not inside)

Why

• Calm foot traffic
• Staff presence
• Predictable schedules

Avoid

• Busy subway platforms
• Small cafés during rush hours

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Harlem / Washington Heights

Best locations

• Community centers
• School main entrances
• Well-known chain pharmacies
• Police precinct lobbies (used in high-conflict cases)

Why

• Clear visibility
• Community familiarity
• Transit access

Avoid

• Narrow residential stoops
• Crowded bodegas

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Midtown / Downtown Manhattan

Best locations

• Building lobbies with doormen
• Hotel lobbies (very common, neutral)
• Major retail stores with seating areas

Why

• Neutral ground
• Cameras and security
• Easy documentation if needed

Avoid

• Penn Station / Port Authority (too chaotic)

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BROOKLYN

Park Slope / Prospect Heights

Best locations

• Playground gates
• Public schools
• Branch libraries
• Large supermarkets

Why

• Family-oriented norms
• Predictable routines
• Comfortable for children

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Bed-Stuy / Crown Heights

Best locations

• Community centers
• School entrances
• Chain retail stores (CVS, Walgreens)

Why

• Familiar, neutral spaces
• Staff presence
• Easy verbal handoff

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Williamsburg / Bushwick

Best locations

• Grocery stores
• Neutral cafés with outdoor seating
• Daycare or school entrances

Why

• Casual but public
• Reduces tension
• Walkable blocks

Avoid

• Bar-heavy corners at night

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QUEENS

Astoria / Long Island City

Best locations

• Libraries
• Large grocery stores
• School entrances
• Park entrances (not interior paths)

Why

• Good transit
• Clear sightlines
• Lower stress environment

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Jackson Heights / Elmhurst

Best locations

• Community health centers
• Police precinct lobbies (when required)
• Large retail plazas

Why

• Multilingual staff
• Visibility
• Neutrality

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BRONX

Riverdale

Best locations

• Libraries
• School entrances
• Grocery stores with parking

Why

• Calm environment
• Parking availability
• Family-friendly norms

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South Bronx / High-Density Areas

Best locations

• Police precinct lobbies
• Community centers
• School security desks

Why

• Court-approved neutrality
• Documentation if needed
• Safety-focused

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STATEN ISLAND

Best locations

• School parking lots
• Libraries
• Police precincts
• Community recreation centers

Why

• Car-friendly
• Easy timing coordination
• Low crowd density

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HIGH-CONFLICT OR COURT-ORDERED EXCHANGES (NYC-WIDE)

If conflict exists or court orders require neutrality:

Recommended

• Police precinct lobbies
• Family court–recommended visitation centers
• Supervised exchange centers
• Courthouse lobbies (during business hours)

These locations are:

• Court-recognized
• Camera-covered
• Incident-documented if needed

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LOCATIONS NYC FAMILY COURTS GENERALLY DISLIKE

Avoid these unless explicitly agreed:

• Inside apartments
• Residential hallways
• Bars or restaurants serving alcohol
• Subway platforms
• Private vehicles on busy streets

These increase:

• Conflict risk
• Miscommunication
• Child stress

QUESTIONS?

RESOURCES

VACANCIES

OTHER