Mayor Eric Adams is making a last-minute play to shape New York’s housing policy for years after he leaves office, appointing four members to the Rent Guidelines Board in a move that will ensure his picks control the panel well into the Mamdani administration.
The appointments, announced Monday, include two new members and the reappointment of two others. The gambit means Adams-selected members will make up a majority of the nine-member board for at least the next year, potentially blocking incoming Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s ability to deliver on his signature campaign promise of freezing rent increases for stabilized tenants.
“This is exactly the kind of last-minute power grab we expected from this administration,” said Cea Weaver, campaign coordinator for Housing Justice for All. “Adams is trying to tie Mamdani’s hands before he even takes the oath of office.”
The Rent Guidelines Board sets annual rent increases for the approximately one million rent-stabilized apartments in New York City. The board consists of nine members appointed by the mayor: two owner representatives, two tenant representatives, and five public members who typically determine outcomes.
By filling vacancies and reappointing allies, Adams has ensured that his public members will retain their majority until their terms expire. Mamdani cannot replace them until then, meaning the new mayor’s first Rent Guidelines Board vote in June could be shaped by his predecessor’s appointments.
Mamdani campaigned on a promise to appoint tenant advocates to the board and push for zero-percent rent increases for stabilized apartments. The pledge was central to his progressive housing platform and helped him build a coalition of tenant groups during his upset primary victory.
The Adams administration defended the appointments as standard practice. “The mayor has a responsibility to fill vacancies and ensure the board can function,” said a City Hall spokesperson. “These are qualified individuals who will serve the city well.”
Landlord groups have praised the appointments, arguing that zero-percent increases would devastate building owners already struggling with rising costs for labor, insurance, and utilities.
“The rent guidelines process needs to be balanced,” said Joseph Strasburg, president of the Rent Stabilization Association. “Building owners have bills to pay too. These appointments help ensure both sides are heard.”
But tenant advocates say the board has consistently favored landlords, approving rent increases even in years when building costs declined. The last time the board approved a rent freeze was in 2015 and 2016 under Mayor Bill de Blasio.
“Rent-stabilized tenants have seen their rents rise every year while their wages haven’t kept pace,” said Weaver. “A rent freeze isn’t radical. It’s the bare minimum.”
The political maneuvering highlights the contentious transition between the Adams and Mamdani administrations. While traditional courtesy has incoming mayors working cooperatively with outgoing ones, the ideological gulf between the moderate Adams and the democratic socialist Mamdani has made the handoff tense.
Mamdani’s team declined to comment directly on the appointments but noted that the incoming mayor remains committed to his housing agenda. A spokesperson said Mamdani would use “every tool available” to deliver relief for tenants.
The appointments cannot be reversed by the incoming administration. Board members serve fixed terms and can only be removed for cause. Mamdani will have opportunities to appoint his own members as current terms expire, but achieving a tenant-friendly majority could take two years or more.
For the million-plus New Yorkers in rent-stabilized apartments, the political chess match will have direct consequences. This year’s rent increase of 2.75% for one-year leases added roughly $50 per month to the average stabilized rent. Future increases will depend on how the Adams-appointed board weighs landlord costs against tenant affordability.
Mamdani is scheduled to be sworn in on New Year’s Day with a block party on the steps of City Hall. The Rent Guidelines Board will hold its first meeting of the new administration in February, setting the stage for a vote in June that will test whether Adams’ parting move has succeeded in constraining his successor’s agenda.
