NYC's Rent Freeze program for seniors and tenants with disabilities took nearly three times as long to approve new applicants last year

The city program that freezes the rent of low-income seniors and tenants with disabilities got much slower at approving new applicants in the last fiscal year, according to the Department of Finance's section of the Mayor's Management Report, a trend POLITICO's New York Playbook highlighted on Monday, Nov. 9.

The Rent Freeze Program, made up of the Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption (SCRIE) and the Disability Rent Increase Exemption (DRIE), freezes a qualifying tenant's rent so it does not rise with future increases. It is separate from the Rent Guidelines Board's 0% increase for stabilized leases.

What the numbers show

• New SCRIE applications: 31.2 days on average to process in fiscal 2026 (July 1, 2025, to June 30, 2026), up from 12.2 days in fiscal 2025. The target is 10 days.
• New DRIE applications: 33.8 days, up from 12.7.
• Renewals: 15.1 days for SCRIE (from 9.4) and 14.5 days for DRIE (from 8.5).
• Volume: the agency received 5,219 new SCRIE applications (down from 7,266) and 25,308 SCRIE renewals, plus 1,132 new DRIE applications (down from 1,606) and 5,975 DRIE renewals.

The fiscal year spans the end of the Adams administration and the first six months of Mayor Zohran Mamdani's.

Why it slowed

Finance said the Senior and Disabled Programs Unit, which runs the Rent Freeze and homeowner exemptions, had "critical vacancies" in fiscal 2026, including its director and senior director, positions it says are being filled. During the roughly seven-week rush before the March 15 deadline for homeowner exemptions, nearly all staff were assigned to those applications while also clearing a backlog of files put on hold for missing information.

The report also points to a high number of incomplete SCRIE and DRIE applications. They are not counted in the average processing times, but each one requires several reviews. The agency says it is looking at automation to speed things up.

The income limit is changing

On Oct. 22, the City Council passed Intro. 978-B, which raises the household income limit for both programs from $50,000 to $75,000, retroactive to July 1, 2026, the Council said. As of Monday, the Department of Finance's eligibility page still listed the $50,000 limit.

Who qualifies today

• SCRIE: age 62 or older; DRIE: 18 or older and receiving SSI, SSDI, a VA disability pension or compensation, or disability-related Medicaid after SSI or SSDI.
• Household income within the limit, and rent that is more than one-third of monthly household income.
• You live in the apartment, are on the lease, and it is rent-controlled, rent-stabilized or rent-regulated (certain Battery Park City and former Mitchell-Lama units also qualify).
• Not eligible: NYCHA apartments, units paid in part or full by a Section 8 voucher, unregulated apartments and sublets.

How to apply without delays

• Apply online if you can; the city says online applications are processed faster than paper ones.
• Include every document on the application checklist (proof of age, income, residency and, for DRIE, disability). Send copies, not originals. Missing papers are what put files on hold.
• Renew online through the Tenant Access Portal starting 60 days before your benefit expires.
• Mitchell-Lama and HDFC tenants apply for SCRIE through HPD, not Finance.
• Need more time or help? Call 311 or schedule a virtual appointment with Finance.