Housing & Rent · Surprise rank #355
Renting in a Qualifying Nassau Building? ETPA Can Limit Rent Hikes and Protect Renewals
New York’s Emergency Tenant Protection Act brings rent-stabilization rules to participating Nassau communities for qualifying older apartment buildings.
Who
Tenants in Nassau County localities that have adopted ETPA, generally in non-rent-controlled buildings with six or more units built before January 1, 1974.
Where: Participating municipalities in Nassau County, New York
What to do
Start here: Check the NYS Homes and Community Renewal ETPA fact sheet and confirm whether your municipality and building are covered before assuming the apartment is stabilized.
Eligibility: Your municipality must have adopted ETPA and your apartment/building must fall within the law’s coverage rules. Building size, construction date and other exemptions matter.
What you get
ETPA rent stabilization can limit lawful rent increases, provide renewal-lease rights and restrict when a landlord can recover a covered apartment.
Benefit: Protection from unrestricted rent increases plus regulated renewal and eviction rules for a covered apartment.
Possible value: No single dollar amount; the value depends on the difference between regulated rent increases and what the market rent otherwise could have been.
Good to know
Important: This is not a Nassau-wide protection for every renter. Coverage depends on the locality and the building; many rentals are outside ETPA.
Availability: Active in Nassau localities that have adopted ETPA; building-level coverage varies.
Why people miss it: Many Nassau renters assume rent stabilization exists only in New York City, while others assume every Nassau apartment is protected; both are wrong.
Sources reviewed: Aug 10, 2026