NYC rent freeze among new rules and laws taking effect in October
Two new rules and a law take effect in October that could impact New Yorkers' rent, health and subscription services.
The most notable one may be the rent freeze, which will impact millions of residents. New York City's Rent Guidelines Board voted in favor of the freeze in June, which was also one of Mayor Zohran Mamdani's campaign promises.
The rule impacts one-year and two-year leases starting between Thursday and Sept. 30, 2027.
While renters were elated about the change, landlords blasted the board. They say the freeze will make it difficult to keep up with rising taxes, utilities and repairs. President Trump also slammed the rule, saying it will turn buildings into "ghettos and slums."
Also taking effect Thursday is the city's Click to Cancel rule, which allows consumers to file complaints against businesses that make it difficult to cancel subscriptions.
"For years, companies have built their business model around making it harder for working people to hold onto their money," Mamdani previously said. "Whether it's hidden fees that suddenly appear at checkout or subscriptions that take one click to sign up for and a dozen steps to cancel, the result is the same: working people pay more while corporations profit. That ends now. If you can sign up with one click, you can cancel with one click."
The rule states companies must clearly explain subscription terms and disclose consumers' rights when buying or canceling subscriptions. Companies also have to provide a straightforward cancellation process and can't ask that you pay to ship them things they gave you for free.
Fines start at $525 for businesses, and they may have to refund the consumer impacted.
The third piece of legislation goes into effect Oct. 10 and amends the administrative code of the city. It prohibits the sale of menstrual and intimate care products that contain unsafe ingredients.
The law applies to products that contain intentionally added ingredients harmful to human health, as listed on the packaging label, including chemicals and fragrances.
