The NYC renter toolkit: official links every tenant should bookmark

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

When you're ready to apply, build a free CertRent profile so your identity, rent history, income, and references travel with you to every listing.