Report snapshot
$4,854
Median net rent · Citywide
0.78
Open violations per unit · Citywide
8.5%
Renewals above Good Cause threshold
3.77
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 up 6.7% since July 2025
The citywide median net rent in July 2026 listings was $4,854 — down 1.8% from June 2026 and up 6.7% from July 2025.
The Bronx led the year at +25.1%, while Brooklyn was weakest at -0.5%.
Concessions
Concessions eased in July — except in Brooklyn.
Citywide, 9.7% of July 2026 listings came with a concession — 12.6% a month earlier, a -2.9pp move.
Concessions were most common in Brooklyn (19.2% of listings) and rarest in Manhattan (4.2%) — more than four times as many listings with concessions.
$566
Typical concession · Monthly
The median concession among July 2026 units offering one — about $6,792 across an annual lease
~1.5 mo
Free-rent equivalent · Citywide
What the typical concession is worth in free rent on a 12-month lease
~1.7 mo
Free-rent equivalent · Brooklyn
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 4.2% of July 2026 listings advertised a concession, and where one appeared it was typically worth $267 a month. Outside Good Cause coverage, 20.6% came with a concession, at a typical $585 a month.
4.9×
Likelier to carry a concession
Listings in buildings without Good Cause protection were about five times likelier to advertise a concession (20.6% vs 4.2%)
119%
Higher, when offered
Concessions in buildings without Good Cause protection were 119% higher than those in protected buildings ($585 vs $267 a month)
| July 2026 | Good Cause buildings | All other listings |
|---|---|---|
| Listings with a concession | 4.2% | 20.6% |
| Typical concession, when offered | $267 | $585 |
| Median net rent | $4,695 | $4,997 |
Renter sentiment
Queens rated highest at 3.85, The Bronx lowest at 2.76
Owner responsiveness ranks last in 4 of 5 boroughs
3.77
Overall rating · Citywide
Average across eight rated categories, from July 2026’s published renter reviews
3.31
Owner responsiveness
Renters’ lowest-scoring category citywide
68.6%
Would recommend their building
About two in three July 2026 reviewers; 62.5% approve of their landlord
| Manhattan | Brooklyn | Queens | The Bronx | Staten Island | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Overall | 3.82 | 3.71 | 3.85 | 2.76 | 3.45 |
| Owner responsiveness | 3.43 | 3.15 | 3.44 | 2.05 | 3.64 |
| Cleanliness | 3.75 | 3.70 | 3.87 | 2.84 | 3.05 |
| Garbage management | 3.97 | 3.85 | 4.06 | 3.32 | 3.36 |
| Heat | 3.78 | 3.81 | 3.88 | 3.00 | 3.77 |
| Neighbors | 4.16 | 3.97 | 3.88 | 2.95 | 3.18 |
| Noise levels | 3.79 | 3.53 | 3.72 | 2.79 | 3.64 |
| Pest control | 3.65 | 3.66 | 3.79 | 2.11 | 3.05 |
| Water pressure | 4.04 | 4.03 | 4.15 | 3.00 | 3.91 |
| Rank | Neighborhood | Rating · July 2026 | Rating · July 2025 | Rank change |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Murray Hill | 4.22 | 3.82 | ↑ 7 |
| 2 | Downtown Brooklyn | 4.17 | 4.06 | — |
| 3 | Financial District | 4.15 | 3.96 | — |
| 4 | Chelsea | 4.13 | 3.75 | ↑ 9 |
| 5 | Hell’s Kitchen | 4.11 | 3.71 | ↑ 11 |
Overall rating from July reviewers, and each neighborhood’s standing a year earlier.
- Pest control — 4,542 new violations, down 6.0% from July 2025.
- Heat & hot water — 758 new violations, up 41.9% from July 2025.
- Garbage management — 461 new violations, down 9.1% from July 2025.
Renewals
In July 2026, 8.5% 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 8–12% reported rent increases exceeding permitted limits.
88%
Covered renewals under the standard
Share of July 2026 renewals in Good Cause buildings below the 8.79%/yr allowable increase
92%
Stabilized renewals under 5% / year
July 2026 cohort — against 77.6% of market-rate renewals
Building conditions & violations
Three in four open violations have gone unresolved for over a year
75.9% of open violations have gone unresolved for over a year, up 0.7 points from July 2025.
New York City buildings carried 0.78 open housing violations for every apartment in July 2026 — up 3.4% from July 2025, and -0.5% on June 2026.
The open-violation backlog is up 3.8% year-over-year.
0.78
Open violations per unit · Citywide
Weighted open violations per unit citywide — up from 0.76 in July 2025, down 0.5% from June
75.9%
Open violations over a year old
Share of all violations still open at the end of July 2026 that had gone unclosed for at least a year — up 0.7 points from July 2025
Open violations per unit, by borough
| Borough | July 2026 | YoY | MoM |
|---|---|---|---|
| NYC (Citywide) | 0.78 | +3.4% | -0.5% |
| The Bronx | 1.09 | +6.0% | -0.7% |
| Brooklyn | 0.98 | +2.5% | +0.1% |
| Staten Island | 0.68 | +15.7% | -2.3% |
| Queens | 0.55 | +0.6% | -1.1% |
| Manhattan | 0.52 | +2.6% | -0.9% |