NEW YORK, NY— As rents climb and tenants shoulder rising costs, two state lawmakers have introduced legislation that would allow renters to organize and negotiate directly with landlords.
The Tenant Power Act, introduced by State Sen. Julia Salazar and Assemblymember Gabriella Romero, would require landlords to negotiate with tenant unions and grant renters access to detailed information about building ownership, finances and property portfolios.
The proposal also would establish a Statewide Tenant Association, backed by $50 million in annual funding to support organizing efforts, legal resources and tenant outreach.
“Big landlords and real estate companies are often renting apartments at predatory prices while failing to provide the most basic maintenance,” Salazar said.
A recent report from Realtor.com found the median asking rent in New York City reached $3,616 in early 2026, while a typical tenant pays about $1,855 under an existing lease.
Moving would expose renters to a gap of roughly $1,761 per month, the data suggested, requiring more than $70,000 in additional annual income to remain within affordability standards.
"Much like homeowners who locked-in low, pandemic-era mortgage rates, many of New York City's renters who have lived there for a few years or more wear their own golden handcuffs," Danielle Hale, chief economist at Realtor.com, said. "The rent gap between what tenants pay today and what the market asks has grown so wide that leaving your apartment is no longer just a logistical challenge. For most New Yorkers, it's become a financial near-impossibility.”
Hale argued a potential rent freeze on stabilized units could widen the gap even more, making it more expensive for tenants to leave those apartments in the years ahead.
Under the proposal, landlords would have to disclose key information to tenants, including property ownership, operating income and expenses, and tax obligations— data that tenant advocates say remains difficult to access.
Dorothy Sanders, a Bronx tenant and member of New York Communities for Change, described years of unresolved maintenance issues in her building.
“I leave voicemails and the landlord never gets back to us and I never hear back,” Sanders said. “I need to be able to sit face to face with the landlord to address every issue I have in my apartment, and get real solutions.”
Property owners have raised concerns about costs and existing regulations. Ann Korchak, board president of the Small Property Owners of New York, pointed to the state’s current legal framework.
“New York State probably has the most kind of protections of any state in the country,” Korchak said, citing the Housing Stability and Tenant Protection Act of 2019.
She also questioned whether additional funding could be better directed.
“So many of our problems really stem from an affordability issue,” Korchak said. “Putting the resources to help tenants pay rent could address underlying pressures.”
The proposal has not yet advanced in the Legislature, and questions remain about how collective bargaining would function in a system where leases vary by building and tenant.
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