Days Before Inauguration, Adams Locks In Rent Board Control Ahead of Mamdani Swearing-In

New York City | Housing Policy | Mayor Transition

With just days remaining before Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani is sworn in at midnight on New Year’s Day, outgoing New York City Mayor Eric Adams is making a final, highly consequential move that could shape housing policy well into the next administration.

In the closing stretch of his term, Adams has moved to fill two vacancies on the New York City Rent Guidelines Board (RGB) — a quiet but powerful action that may limit Mamdani’s ability to carry out a promised rent freeze during his first year in office.

The appointments, first reported by The Wall Street Journal and confirmed by local New York outlets, come as Adams prepares to exit City Hall and Zohran Mamdani prepares to take office just hours later.

Why the Rent Guidelines Board Matters

The Rent Guidelines Board is one of the most influential — and least understood — governing bodies in New York City.

Each year, the nine-member board sets allowable rent increases, decreases, or freezes for more than one million rent-stabilized apartments across the city. While mayors frequently campaign on rent policy, the RGB is the body that actually decides what tenants and landlords will pay.

The board consists of:

• Two tenant representatives

• Two landlord representatives

• Five public members appointed by the mayor

By filling two existing vacancies before leaving office, Adams effectively ensures that the board Mamdani inherits will not immediately reflect the priorities of the incoming administration — particularly when it comes to a proposed citywide rent freeze.

A Last-Minute Move With Long-Term Impact

Mamdani made housing affordability the centerpiece of his mayoral campaign, pledging to freeze rents on stabilized apartments as a direct response to rising costs and inflation pressures on working-class New Yorkers.

But while Mamdani will officially become mayor at 12:00 a.m. on January 1, the rent board he inherits will already be in place — and poised to vote on rent levels in the spring of 2026.

Replacing board members early would require resignations or legal cause, neither of which is easily obtained. As a result, Adams’ final appointments may determine whether a rent freeze is even considered during Mamdani’s first rent-setting cycle.

Lame-Duck Politics — and a Familiar Playbook

Tenant advocates and progressive allies have criticized Adams’ action as a lame-duck maneuver designed to undercut the will of voters. Supporters of the outgoing mayor argue that rent freezes risk deferred maintenance, reduced housing investment, and long-term deterioration of rent-stabilized buildings.

Politically, the move follows a familiar pattern.

Outgoing administrations — in New York and beyond — have long used late-term appointments to boards and commissions to extend their influence beyond inauguration day. The Rent Guidelines Board, with its staggered terms and regulatory independence, is particularly well suited for this kind of institutional continuity.

The timing underscores a basic truth of governance: mayors change overnight, but regulatory boards do not.

What Happens Next

The Rent Guidelines Board typically begins its formal deliberations in early spring, with a final vote on rent adjustments in late May or June. That timeline means the board Adams leaves behind will likely set the rules for 2026 rents — regardless of who occupies City Hall.

Mamdani will eventually gain appointment authority as terms expire, but the immediate window for implementing a rent freeze appears significantly narrower than campaign rhetoric suggested.

Bottom Line

As New Yorkers prepare to ring in the new year, one of the most consequential policy decisions of the upcoming mayoral term may already be constrained.

With days left before the inauguration, Eric Adams has used his remaining authority not for ceremony, but for governance — ensuring that the fight over rent policy will extend well beyond midnight on New Year’s Day.

For Zohran Mamdani, the message is clear: the campaign is over, but the institutional battles are just beginning.

Sources

• The Wall Street Journal — “New York Mayor Adams Moves to Block Zohran Mamdani’s 2026 Rent Freeze”

• Gothamist — “Mayor Adams Appoints Rent Guidelines Board Members Ahead of Mayoral Transition”

• NY1 — “Adams Fills Rent Board Vacancies Weeks Before Mamdani Takes Office”

• Realtor.com — “NYC Rent Freeze Faces Roadblock as Outgoing Mayor Stacks Rent Board”