Why is rent stabilization bad? All it does is stop the rent from going up too much while you are living there. I wouldn't want to be a tenant without it - who wants to be forced to move because the rent went up by too much? As soon as you leave, the landlord can sign a new lease at whatever rent they like. That is distinct from "rent control" in NYC, which caps rents and is a much stronger measure, but only applies to tenants living in the same place since July 1st 1971, or March 31 1953 if it's an apartment in a 1 or 2 family home.