N.Y.C. Admin. Code tit. 26, ch. 3 § 26-401
Declaration and findings (City Rent and Rehabilitation Law)
Operative Text
a. The council hereby finds that a serious public emergency continues to exist in the housing of a considerable number of persons in the city, which emergency was created by war, the effects of war and the aftermath of hostilities; that such emergency necessitated the intervention of federal, state and local government in order to prevent speculative, unwarranted and abnormal increases in rents; that there continues to exist an acute shortage of dwellings; that unless residential rents and evictions continue to be regulated and controlled, disruptive practices and abnormal conditions will produce serious threats to the public health, safety and general welfare; that to prevent such perils to health, safety and welfare, preventive action through enactment of local legislation by the council continues to be imperative; that such action, as a temporary measure to be effective until it is determined by the council that such emergency no longer exists, is necessary in order to prevent exactions of unjust, unreasonable and oppressive rents and rental agreements and to forestall profiteering, speculation and other disruptive practices tending to produce threats to the public health; that the transition from regulation to a normal market of free bargaining between landlord and tenant, while still the objective of state and city policy, must be administered with due regard for such emergency; that in order to prevent uncertainty, hardship and dislocation, the provisions of this chapter are declared to be necessary and designed to protect the public health, safety and general welfare. b. The council further declares that it is city policy to utilize the powers conferred by this chapter, in a manner consistent with the purposes and provisions thereof, to encourage and promote the improvement and rehabilitation of the housing accommodations subject to control hereunder, for the purpose of protecting the public health, safety and general welfare.
N.Y.C. Admin. Code ch. 26 § 26-401 et seq. opens by establishing the legislative rationale for New York City's rent and eviction controls, declaring that a serious housing emergency has persisted since wartime and its aftermath. The provision states that without continued regulation, speculative rent increases and disruptive practices would threaten public health, safety, and general welfare. It also sets out a city policy of using these regulatory powers to encourage the improvement and rehabilitation of controlled housing accommodations, while acknowledging that a return to a free-market system remains a long-term goal.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Property owners and managers operating under N.Y.C. Admin. Code ch. 26 § 26-401 et seq. should understand that this chapter's controls exist because the council has formally declared an ongoing housing emergency, meaning the regulatory framework is treated as a continuing necessity rather than a temporary inconvenience. Compliant operators generally familiarize themselves with the full scope of the chapter, since this foundational declaration shapes how all subsequent provisions are interpreted and enforced. Operators who invest in improving or rehabilitating covered housing accommodations align with the stated city policy embedded in this section.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
N.Y.C. Admin. Code ch. 26 § 26-401 et seq. establishes that rent and eviction protections in New York City are grounded in a declared public emergency, giving tenants a strong legislative backdrop when asserting rights under the broader chapter. Tenants may find this declaration relevant if a landlord challenges the legitimacy of rent regulation, since the council has repeatedly reaffirmed the emergency's existence as the basis for continued controls. Tenant-rights organizations and housing agencies can help renters understand how this foundational provision connects to specific protections available under the chapter.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated September 30, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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