The NYC renter toolkit: official links every tenant should bookmark
By the CertRent editorial team
Updated July 2026
Reviewed against official NYC & federal sources
You don't have to navigate renting in New York alone. These are official, free resources worth bookmarking — government agencies, legal help, and consumer tools. (External links; CertRent isn't affiliated with these organizations.)
Housing agencies
- NYC Housing Preservation & Development (HPD) — code, complaints, and housing programs.
- NYS Homes and Community Renewal (HCR) — rent stabilization and state housing.
- NYC Commission on Human Rights — housing discrimination and source-of-income protection.
Know who owns your building
- CertRent's free building-owner lookup — enter any NYC address to see the owner of record instantly.
- Who Owns What (JustFix) — look up a landlord's other buildings and complaints.
- ACRIS — the official NYC property records CertRent uses to verify landlord references.
Legal help
- Housing Court Answers — plain-language housing court help.
- The Legal Aid Society and NYLAG — free legal services.
- NYS Attorney General — file a complaint about fees or deposits.
Your credit & money
- AnnualCreditReport.com — your free credit reports from all three bureaus.
- CFPB — consumer financial protection, including renter guides.
- Call 311 for most NYC housing questions.
Do it all in one profile
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