Local landlord and tenant rules in Mount Vernon, New York
Mount Vernon, New York has local rules on rent regulation (Emergency Tenant Protection Act of 1974 (L. 1974, ch. 576) §§ 3, 5; DHCR Fact Sheet #8 (FS-08, 11/2024)), rental registration (Mount Vernon City Code ch. 198, art. I, §§ 198-1, 198-2) and inspections before a new tenant (Mount Vernon City Code § 149-42(C)–(I) (as amended November 25, 2025)), on top of New York law.
Local rules in Mount Vernon, New York
Rent regulation
The City of Mount Vernon has adopted the Emergency Tenant Protection Act — rent stabilization outside New York City. Apartments in buildings of six or more units completed before January 1, 1974 are generally rent stabilized unless the local declaration narrowed the classes it covers: the rent is registered with DHCR, increases follow the county rent guidelines board, and the tenant is entitled to a renewal. Check the unit’s DHCR registration before you set the rent.
Source: Emergency Tenant Protection Act of 1974 (L. 1974, ch. 576) §§ 3, 5; DHCR Fact Sheet #8 (FS-08, 11/2024) (read the source). Checked on November 11, 2026.
Rental registration
An absentee owner of real property in Mount Vernon — a corporation counts as one unless its principal office is in the City — must file an absentee real property registration with the Building Department every year by March 15, naming a managing agent who lives or has a place of business in Mount Vernon to receive notices of Building Code and Public Works violations and service of process; the designation and the agent’s consent must be notarized.
Source: Mount Vernon City Code ch. 198, art. I, §§ 198-1, 198-2. Checked on November 12, 2026.
Inspections before a new tenant
Before a vacant apartment in Mount Vernon is rented again, its owner, sublessor, agent, manager or operator must ask the Building Department in writing for a vacancy inspection, within two days after the unit becomes vacant and with a $10 fee. The Department inspects within three days of the request and reports any violations in writing within two days after that, and the unit may not be rented or reoccupied until it is certified free of violations.
Source: Mount Vernon City Code § 149-42(C)–(I) (as amended November 25, 2025). Checked on November 12, 2026.
Also on file
- The State Department of Health names Mount Vernon among the 25 communities where New York’s Lead Rental Registry Law has been in effect since November 3, 2025 (the county health department applies it in ZIP 10550): a residential rental property built before 1980 with two or more units must be entered in the registry, inspected for lead hazards and hold a Lead Safety Certificate renewed at least every three years, even where one of the units is occupied by the owner or the owner’s family. Source: N.Y. Public Health Law § 1377; NYS Department of Health, Lead Rental Registry Requirements for Property Owners. Checked on November 12, 2026.
New York rules that apply in Mount Vernon
| Rule | New York |
|---|---|
| How long does a landlord have to return a security deposit in New York? | 14 days |
| How much can a landlord charge for a security deposit in New York? | 1 month of rent |
| Does a landlord have to pay interest on a security deposit in New York? | Buildings of six or more units must hold the deposit in an interest-bearing New York account; the owner may keep 1 % as an administrative fee. |
| How much notice does a landlord have to give before raising the rent in New York? | 30 / 60 / 90 days by tenancy length, on increases of 5% or more |
| How much notice must a landlord give to end a tenancy in New York? | 30 / 60 / 90 days by tenancy length |
| How many days does a tenant get to pay late rent in New York? | 14 days to pay |
| How much can a landlord charge for a late rent fee in New York? | $50 or 5%, whichever is less |
| Is there a grace period for paying rent in New York? | 5 days |
Every New York rule Seayora publishes.
The homes these rules cover in Mount Vernon
57.1% of the occupied homes in Mount Vernon are rented, about 16,021 households, a share higher than across New York (45.7%).
The median gross rent is $1,629 a month, not measurably different from New York as a whole ($1,621); that is what households report paying, utilities included, not the asking rent for a vacant apartment.
54.8% of renters there pay 30% or more of their income on rent.
82.4% of the homes were built before 1980, and the federal lead-paint disclosure rule covers housing built before 1978.
| Mount Vernon | Westchester County | New York | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that rent | 57.1% (±2.4 points) | 38.2% | 45.7% |
| Median gross rent | $1,629 (±$56) | $1,951 | $1,621 |
| Renters paying 30% or more of income on rent | 54.8% (±5.1 points) | 54.2% | 52.1% |
| Median income of renter households | $52,608 (±$9,169) | $69,175 | $57,803 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 82.4% (±4.3 points) | 76.1% | 73.9% |
| Homes in buildings of five or more units | 48.3% (±3.1 points) | 35.3% | 34.7% |
| Rental vacancy rate | 2.1% (±1.0 points) | 2.5% | 3.8% |
| Households that moved in since 2020 | 15.9% (±2.2 points) | 19.8% | 20.5% |
All housing figures for Mount Vernon: rent by bedrooms, home values, property taxes, commute.
Source: US Census Bureau, Selected Housing Characteristics (DP04), 2020–2024 ACS 5-year estimates — undefined. This product uses the Census Bureau Data API but is not endorsed or certified by the Census Bureau.
Questions about Mount Vernon’s local rules
Does Mount Vernon have rent control?
The City of Mount Vernon has adopted the Emergency Tenant Protection Act — rent stabilization outside New York City. Apartments in buildings of six or more units completed before January 1, 1974 are generally rent stabilized unless the local declaration narrowed the classes it covers: the rent is registered with DHCR, increases follow the county rent guidelines board, and the tenant is entitled to a renewal. Check the unit’s DHCR registration before you set the rent. (Emergency Tenant Protection Act of 1974 (L. 1974, ch. 576) §§ 3, 5; DHCR Fact Sheet #8 (FS-08, 11/2024))
Do landlords have to register rentals in Mount Vernon?
An absentee owner of real property in Mount Vernon — a corporation counts as one unless its principal office is in the City — must file an absentee real property registration with the Building Department every year by March 15, naming a managing agent who lives or has a place of business in Mount Vernon to receive notices of Building Code and Public Works violations and service of process; the designation and the agent’s consent must be notarized. (Mount Vernon City Code ch. 198, art. I, §§ 198-1, 198-2)
Does Mount Vernon require an inspection or certificate before a new tenant moves in?
Before a vacant apartment in Mount Vernon is rented again, its owner, sublessor, agent, manager or operator must ask the Building Department in writing for a vacancy inspection, within two days after the unit becomes vacant and with a $10 fee. The Department inspects within three days of the request and reports any violations in writing within two days after that, and the unit may not be rented or reoccupied until it is certified free of violations. (Mount Vernon City Code § 149-42(C)–(I) (as amended November 25, 2025))
This is a summary of the local rules Seayora has read from each place’s own code, not legal advice. Ordinances change and a rule may have exceptions; check the citation and the office named before acting.