New York City Mayor Mamdani faces probe over rent freeze

A judge is investigating allegations of improper influence regarding a rent freeze implemented by New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani. The New York City Rent Guidelines Board (RGB) recently voted 7-1 to freeze rents on one and two-year leases for rent-stabilized units, fulfilling a key campaign promise by the Mayor.

Critics and a coalition of city landlords have filed a legal challenge, alleging that the administration stacked the supposedly independent board with tenant activists loyal to the Mayor. Of the nine board members, six were appointed by Mamdani. The investigation follows the resignation of board member Christina Smyth, who claimed the board had ceased to be a “fact-finding body” and was instead rebuilt to ensure a specific outcome, describing the public hearings and data collection as “theater.”