N.Y.C. Admin. Code tit. 26, ch. 4 § 26-517.1
Fees (New York City Rent Stabilization Law of 1969)
Operative Text
a. The department of finance shall collect from the owner of each housing accommodation registered pursuant to section 26-517 of this chapter an annual fee in the amount of twenty dollars per year for each unit subject to this law, in order to defray costs incurred by the city pursuant to subdivision c of section eight of the emergency tenant protection act of nineteen hundred seventy-four. b. (1) Pursuant to the provisions of subdivision d of section eight of the emergency tenant protection act of nineteen seventy-four, the failure to pay the fee imposed by the provisions of subdivision a of this section shall constitute a charge due and owing the city. All such fees due and owing the city shall constitute a debt recoverable from the owner and the city may commence an action or proceeding for the recovery of such fees or may file a lien upon the building and lot. If the payment of such fees is not received by the city within sixty days of the date contained in the written notice requesting such payment, the city shall provide a second written notice to the owner setting forth the amount of fees due and owing the city and a demand for payment within thirty days thereof. (2) If such payment is not made to the city within such time, all unpaid fees shall constitute a lien upon the premises and shall be filed in the office of the city collector as an entry of the account stated in the book in which such charges against the premises are to be entered. Such lien shall have priority over all other liens and encumbrances on the premises except for the lien of taxes and assessments. However, no lien created pursuant to this subdivision against any premises shall be enforced against an owner or mortgagee of such premises who acquired in good faith an interest therein subsequent to the period for which the fee was imposed but prior to the creation of any such lien. (3) A notice pursuant to paragraph one of this subdivision, stating the amount due and the nature of the charge, shall be mailed by the city collector, within five days after such entry, to the last known address of the owner or agent. (4) If such charge is not paid within thirty days from the date of entry, it shall be the duty of the city collector to receive interest thereon at the same rate as is imposed on a delinquent tax on real property, to be calculated to the date of payment from the date of entry. (5) Such charge and the interest thereon shall continue to be, until paid, a lien on the premises. Such lien shall be a tax lien within the meaning of sections 11-319 and 11-401 of this code and may be sold, enforced or foreclosed in the manner provided in chapters three and four of title eleven of this code. (6) The provisions set forth in this subdivision shall be the sole remedy for the enforcement of this section. c. The provisions of subdivision a of this section shall be deemed to have been in full force and effect as of April first, nineteen hundred eighty-four. (Am. 2019 N.Y. Laws Ch. 36 Pt. K § 15, 6/14/2019, eff. 6/14/2019) Editor's note: For related unconsolidated provisions, see Appendix A at L.L. 1986/026 , L.L. 1986/066 , and L.L. 2001/036 .
Under N.Y.C. Admin. Code §§ 26-501 & 26-517.1, owners of rent-regulated housing accommodations registered under the city's rent stabilization program are required to pay an annual fee of $20 per regulated unit to the New York City Department of Finance. This fee helps offset costs the city incurs in administering the Emergency Tenant Protection Act of 1974. If the fee goes unpaid, the city can pursue recovery through legal action or by placing a lien on the property, which carries priority over most other liens and can accrue interest at the same rate applied to delinquent real property taxes.
Plain English — not legal advice.
Owners subject to N.Y.C. Admin. Code §§ 26-501 & 26-517.1 generally ensure that the $20-per-unit annual fee is paid to the Department of Finance for every registered rent-stabilized unit on time. Compliant operators track written notices from the city carefully, since failure to respond within the specified 60- and 30-day windows can result in the unpaid fees becoming a tax lien on the building. Because such a lien carries priority over most other encumbrances and can be sold or foreclosed under Title 11 of the Administrative Code, timely payment is a standard part of routine property financial management.
General guidance for property managers — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult an attorney for advice on your case.
Under N.Y.C. Admin. Code §§ 26-501 & 26-517.1, the $20 annual per-unit fee is an obligation placed on the building owner, not on tenants, and is intended to fund city oversight of rent stabilization. Tenants in rent-stabilized units may find it useful to know that this fee requirement is part of the broader registration framework that helps the city track which units are subject to rent regulation. Tenants who have questions about whether their unit is properly registered can reach out to the New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development or a local tenant-rights organization for general information.
General guidance for tenants — not legal advice for your specific situation. Consult a tenant-rights organization or attorney for advice on your case.
Generated October 14, 2026 — auto-generated, not yet human-reviewed. See /transparency for methodology.
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