Yonkers NY rent increase 2026 Yonkers, New York — Westchester County (~211,000; 4th-largest city in New York State; directly north of the Bronx) — has ETPA rent stabilization covering pre-1974 buildings of 6+ units under the Emergency Tenant Protection Act (DHCR oversight). All Yonkers tenancies are subject to NY HSTPA 2019: 1-month deposit cap; no non-refundable fees; 14-day return; 2× wrongful withholding. Good Cause Eviction (April 2024) applies to covered buildings: 5%+CPI-U threshold for unilateral increases; just-cause non-renewal required. 14-day pay-or-quit notice; Yonkers City Court (Housing Part). Metro-North Hudson Line: 35–40 min to Grand Central. Empire City Casino (MGM); Consumer Reports HQ; Otis Elevator Company birthplace (1852).

ETPA rent stabilization in Yonkers

The Emergency Tenant Protection Act of 1974 (ETPA) allows qualifying New York municipalities to declare a housing emergency (defined as a vacancy rate at or below 5%) and bring residential buildings within the rent stabilization system administered by DHCR. Yonkers is a qualifying ETPA municipality with a longstanding housing emergency declaration in effect.

• Covered units: pre-January 1, 1974 buildings with 6 or more residential units in Yonkers.
• Rent increases: set annually by DHCR. Landlords of stabilized units may only raise rents by the DHCR-published percentage; any increase above that amount must be approved by DHCR via an MCI (Major Capital Improvement) or IAI (Individual Apartment Improvement) application.
• Lease renewal rights: ETPA tenants have the right to renew leases on the same terms (plus the allowable DHCR increase). Landlords may not refuse renewal without a prescribed ground (non-payment, lease violation, owner occupancy, etc.).
• DHCR oversight: Bronx/Westchester District Office of DHCR (55 Hanson Place, Brooklyn and 75 S. Broadway, White Plains for Westchester cases). Registration and dispute filings go to DHCR.
• Exemptions: buildings completed after January 1, 1974; owner-occupied buildings with fewer than 6 units; luxury decontrol (if legal regulated rent exceeds $305,000/year — a HSTPA 2019 virtual elimination of this pathway); subsidized housing with its own regulatory framework.

NY HSTPA 2019: statewide protections for all Yonkers tenancies

All Yonkers residential tenancies — stabilized and non-stabilized alike — are governed by the 2019 Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act. The key provisions for Yonkers landlords:

• Security deposit cap: 1 month’s rent maximum. No landlord in New York State may charge more than one month’s rent as a security deposit. Any excess is recoverable by the tenant.
• No non-refundable fees. Non-refundable move-in fees, amenity fees, cleaning fees, and pet deposits are prohibited as separate charges at lease commencement.
• Application fee: $20 maximum (or the actual cost of the credit/background check, whichever is less).
• Late fee: max $50 or 5% of monthly rent (whichever is less).
• Return deadline: 14 days after the tenant vacates and provides a forwarding address. Written itemized statement of deductions required within the same 14-day period. Failure to provide itemized statement forfeits ALL deduction rights.
• Wrongful withholding: 2× the amount improperly withheld, plus attorney fees.
• Advance rent limit: no more than 1 month’s rent in advance at any time. Last-month rent’s collections at lease signing are prohibited.

Good Cause Eviction: the 2024 layer for non-stabilized buildings

New York Real Property Law §226-c and §231-b (Good Cause Eviction, effective April 20, 2024) added a just-cause non-renewal framework for non-ETPA-stabilized units in covered buildings:

• Coverage threshold: buildings with 4+ residential units, or landlords who own 10+ units statewide.
• Rent increase threshold: increases above the lower of 5% or CPI-U are treated as potential “unreasonable rent increases” that may support a tenant’s defense against eviction or non-renewal.
• Just-cause grounds required for non-renewal: non-payment; lease violation; nuisance; illegal activity; owner or immediate family occupancy; substantial renovation requiring vacancy; unremedied building code violations.
• The LLC exception: entities (LLCs, corporations, trusts) do not automatically benefit from the “individual owner” exemption. Courts are applying this on a case-by-case basis. Yonkers landlords who own in LLCs should consult counsel before serving non-renewal notices.
• ETPA overlap: buildings already covered by ETPA stabilization have stronger existing protections. Good Cause applies primarily to post-1974 non-stabilized buildings.

Yonkers eviction: 14-day pay-or-quit notice

RPAPL §711 and §745 govern Yonkers non-payment proceedings. The landlord must serve a 14-Day Rent Demand Notice before filing in Yonkers City Court (Housing Part).

Yonkers City Court — Housing Part: 100 South Broadway, Yonkers NY 10701. Filing fee approximately $45–$80. First return date approximately 10–20 days after filing. Non-payment cases frequently resolve by stipulation (tenant pays arrears; case dismissed). Uncontested timeline to Warrant of Eviction: approximately 4–8 weeks.

For hold-over evictions (expired lease / Good Cause non-renewal): the landlord must provide advance written notice before the lease expires: 30 days (tenancy < 1 year), 60 days (1–2 years), or 90 days (2+ years). Then file a Summary Hold-Over Proceeding in Yonkers City Court after the notice period expires. ETPA cases may be transferred to Westchester County Supreme Court if the landlord seeks a ruling on DHCR-registered rent history.

Empire City Casino (MGM): Yonkers’ largest private employer

Empire City Casino at Yonkers Raceway (810 Yonkers Ave, Yonkers NY 10704) is one of New York State’s largest and most-visited gaming venues. MGM Resorts International operates the property, which received one of three downstate full-resort casino licenses as part of the 2024 New York casino expansion.

The casino currently employs approximately 2,500–3,500 workers across gaming operations, hospitality, food & beverage, security, and facilities management — wages ranging from $18/hr (entry-level) to $80,000+ (management). MGM’s casino resort expansion (projected multi-year construction) is expected to add 2,000–4,000 construction jobs and an eventual 3,000+ permanent hospitality positions, directly boosting Yonkers’ rental demand in the mid-to-lower price range.

Consumer Reports and Yonkers’ white-collar anchor

Consumer Reports (formerly Consumers Union), headquartered at 101 Truman Ave, Yonkers NY 10703, has operated from Yonkers since its founding in 1936. The nonprofit publishes independent product ratings and consumer advocacy research for approximately 6 million members. With 500–700 employees (journalists, engineers, statisticians, lawyers, technologists), Consumer Reports anchors Yonkers’ white-collar professional rental segment.

Otis Elevator: the world’s most consequential Yonkers invention

Elisha Graves Otis founded the Otis Elevator Company in Yonkers in 1852, developing the spring-loaded safety governor that made passenger elevators commercially viable for the first time. The world’s first passenger elevator was installed at the E.V. Haughwout Building in New York City in 1857 — an invention that enabled modern high-rise construction globally. The Otis Yonkers factory was the company’s primary production site for over a century. Otis Worldwide Corporation (NYSE: OTIS) spun off from United Technologies in 2020 and retains its heritage connection to Yonkers.

Yonkers rental market: 2026 price guide

Area	1BR	2BR	Key drivers
Downtown / Metro-North Zone (TOD)	$1,600–$2,200	$2,100–$3,000	Gateway II, Metro-North 35 min GCT
Mid-Yonkers / Park Hill	$1,400–$1,900	$1,800–$2,500	ETPA stabilized stock, NYC commuters
North Yonkers / Crestwood	$1,500–$2,000	$2,000–$2,800	More residential, Metro-North Crestwood
Nodine Hill / SW Yonkers	$1,200–$1,700	$1,600–$2,200	Older stock, diverse community, casino workers