Particle.news
Download on the App Store

Adams’ Final-Day Picks Tilt Rent Board Against Mamdani’s Freeze Plan

The new majority will control the spring 2026 vote that sets rent changes for nearly 1 million rent‑stabilized apartments.

Overview

  • Mayor Eric Adams named four members to the nine-seat Rent Guidelines Board, adding public member Lliam Finn and tenant representative Sagar Sharma and reappointing public member Arpit Gupta and owner representative Christina Smyth.
  • With these moves and economist Alex Armlovich already seated through 2026, Adams-aligned appointees hold a majority on the board for at least the next year.
  • Mayor‑elect Zohran Mamdani’s team said it remains committed to pursuing a four‑year rent freeze and will use all available tools despite the late-term appointments.
  • The Daily News reported that the Real Estate Board of New York helped vet candidates, a claim the Adams administration denied; REBNY did not comment.
  • The board—composed of two tenant reps, two owner reps, and five public members—votes annually by simple majority to set allowable adjustments, and it has only rarely approved freezes.