Rent-Stabilized Housing Lottery

This FAQ is for summary, informational purposes only and is not intended to be a comprehensive guide to eligibility. In the event of any inconsistencies between these FAQs and HPD’s Marketing Handbook https://www.nyc.gov/site/hpd/services-and-information/marketing.page, HPD’s Marketing Handbook shall control in each instance. In all instances, there may be exceptions or additional legal criteria not set forth herein, and HPD will ultimately determine an applicant’s eligibility.  HPD’s rules may be subject to change, and interested applicants should consult the HPD website for the most up-to-date information.

Please refer to your Housing Connect profile to check the status of your application. Rent-stabilized housing applications are selected for review through a lottery process. If your number comes up in the lottery and your application appears to qualify, you will be invited to make an appointment to confirm your eligibility. That appointment is to review the documents that support the information on your application. More information can be found in the Housing Connect FAQs or the About Us page.

Income includes all sources from anyone over the age of 18 in your household. This includes wages, bonuses, tips, unemployment compensation, child support, alimony, foster care subsidies, income derived from social security or any form of federal, state, or local public assistance or housing assistance, payment or credit, including, but not limited to, section 8 vouchers, whether or not such income or credit is to be paid or attributed directly to a landlord, and any other amounts intended as a lawful sources of income under applicable laws, including but not limited to, the Federal Fair Housing Act (“FHA”), New York State’s Human Rights Law (the “State Law”) and New York City Human Rights Law (together with the FHA, and State Law, the “Human Rights Laws”).

Income will be calculated using gross annual income. (Gross income is the income you receive before any taxes or deductions.) For more information on how income is calculated, please see the “Applicant Income Guide” from HPD’s website.

The NYC affordable housing program knows that times change, people change, and incomes change as well. You are only required to qualify at move-in, and thereafter, you do not need to requalify your income.

The “Applicant Income Guide” on HPD’s website details how you should prepare your application if your income is episodic or fluctuating. It is critical to have documentation of all your income for the previous 2 years, the current year, and any documentation you have regarding future income (such as signed contracts for employment or services). Tax returns are valuable as evidence of your past income, along with all your W-2s, 1099s, K1s, and documentation of cash income (such as bank statements showing deposits), contracts, or letters from employers.

Be prepared to present copies of recent years’ federal tax returns, recent paystubs, and copies of financial statements. For more information on documentation requirements, please see the “After You Apply” section on HPD’s website.

Residents are responsible for electricity, which is sub-metered and included as a separate line item on your monthly statement, as well as cooling.

Please refer to the ad for an explanation of amenity fees. Charges vary based on the specific amenity.

Two pets with a maximum fully grown weight of 50 pounds are permitted per apartment. Known to be aggressive breeds are not permitted. Reasonable accommodations by way of an exception to this policy are provided for, among other things, service and emotional support animals, in compliance with the Human Rights Laws.

Please send a message to nychousingconnect@hpd.nyc.go or call 212-863-7990. You can also visit https://housingconnect.nyc.gov/PublicWeb/faq.

There is no application fee, but there is a non-refundable credit check fee for each household member over the age of 18 years. Applicants may choose to provide evidence of complete monthly rent payments for the proceeding 12-month period in lieu of a credit check, or applicants can provide a credit report dated within the last 30 days.

After your application and supporting documentation has been submitted and the deadline date is reached, we will begin to process applications. The typical application will take approximately two (2) weeks from start to finish. Approval may take up to 2-4 weeks. Hang in there, it will be worth it!

Yes, assuming your roommate is a member of your household, which will require proof of interdependency like evidence of a joint bank account, joint utility bill, joint lease, and/or joint tax return.

Yes, the asset limit depends on the AMI level, it’s usually the same as the maximum income requirement for a household size of 4.

Yes, as long as the household meets all income and eligibility requirements. Note, student loans/grants are not considered income.

No member of the applicant‘s household may own residential property, including shares in a co-op, in or within one hundred (100) miles of New York City limits.

Yes! Once your application is approved by the NYC Department of Housing Preservation and Development, you will have an opportunity to tour the unit.