Local landlord and tenant rules in White Plains, New York
White Plains, 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)), good cause eviction (RPL §§ 211(7)-(8), 213, 214, 216; DHCR, Good Cause Eviction Law Required DHCR Notice (posted July 16, 2026; list as of May 4, 2026)) and rental registration (White Plains Municipal Code, Title IV, Rental Housing Registry and License Program, §§ 4-28-3 to 4-28-9 (ordinance of June 18, 2018); City of White Plains, Rental Housing Registry & License Program), on top of New York law.
Local rules in White Plains, New York
Rent regulation
The City of White Plains 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.
Good cause eviction
The City of White Plains has adopted New York’s Good Cause Eviction Law: a covered tenant may be evicted only for a good cause the law lists and is entitled to a renewal, and a rent increase above the local rent standard — 8.38% for 2026 (3.38% inflation plus 5%) — is presumed unreasonable. Not covered: a landlord with no more than 4 units anywhere in New York, a unit renting for more than 345% of HUD’s fair market rent for the county, owner-occupied buildings of ten or fewer units, rent-regulated, income-restricted, condominium and co-op units, and buildings first given a certificate of occupancy in 2009 or later (for 30 years).
Source: RPL §§ 211(7)-(8), 213, 214, 216; DHCR, Good Cause Eviction Law Required DHCR Notice (posted July 16, 2026; list as of May 4, 2026) (read the source). Checked on November 11, 2026.
Rental registration
No rental home in White Plains — from a one-family house up to a building of twelve units — may be operated without a Rental Housing License from the Department of Building, valid for the calendar year. The first application comes with a floor sketch and a City inspection; each renewal, filed between October 1 and December 1, comes with the owner’s own inspection of every unit on the City’s form, after making any repairs it shows, and a new rental must be licensed at least 30 days before it is offered. A transfer of ownership is reported within 30 days and the new owner tells the tenants how to reach them. Owner-occupied one-family homes and two-family homes, condominiums and cooperatives, buildings of more than twelve units and government-managed buildings are exempt.
Source: White Plains Municipal Code, Title IV, Rental Housing Registry and License Program, §§ 4-28-3 to 4-28-9 (ordinance of June 18, 2018); City of White Plains, Rental Housing Registry & License Program. Checked on November 12, 2026.
New York rules that apply in White Plains
| 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 White Plains
49.0% of the occupied homes in White Plains are rented, about 12,534 households, a share higher than across New York (45.7%).
The median gross rent is $2,269 a month, higher than across New York ($1,621); that is what households report paying, utilities included, not the asking rent for a vacant apartment.
54.4% of renters there pay 30% or more of their income on rent.
70.5% of the homes were built before 1980, and the federal lead-paint disclosure rule covers housing built before 1978.
| White Plains | Westchester County | New York | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Households that rent | 49.0% (±2.8 points) | 38.2% | 45.7% |
| Median gross rent | $2,269 (±$89) | $1,951 | $1,621 |
| Renters paying 30% or more of income on rent | 54.4% (±5.2 points) | 54.2% | 52.1% |
| Median income of renter households | $73,779 (±$9,402) | $69,175 | $57,803 |
| Homes built before 1980 | 70.5% (±3.9 points) | 76.1% | 73.9% |
| Homes in buildings of five or more units | 60.7% (±3.3 points) | 35.3% | 34.7% |
| Households that moved in since 2020 | 26.2% (±2.4 points) | 19.8% | 20.5% |
All housing figures for White Plains: 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 White Plains’s local rules
Does White Plains have rent control?
The City of White Plains 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))
Does a landlord in White Plains need a reason to evict or not renew?
The City of White Plains has adopted New York’s Good Cause Eviction Law: a covered tenant may be evicted only for a good cause the law lists and is entitled to a renewal, and a rent increase above the local rent standard — 8.38% for 2026 (3.38% inflation plus 5%) — is presumed unreasonable. Not covered: a landlord with no more than 4 units anywhere in New York, a unit renting for more than 345% of HUD’s fair market rent for the county, owner-occupied buildings of ten or fewer units, rent-regulated, income-restricted, condominium and co-op units, and buildings first given a certificate of occupancy in 2009 or later (for 30 years). (RPL §§ 211(7)-(8), 213, 214, 216; DHCR, Good Cause Eviction Law Required DHCR Notice (posted July 16, 2026; list as of May 4, 2026))
Do landlords have to register rentals in White Plains?
No rental home in White Plains — from a one-family house up to a building of twelve units — may be operated without a Rental Housing License from the Department of Building, valid for the calendar year. The first application comes with a floor sketch and a City inspection; each renewal, filed between October 1 and December 1, comes with the owner’s own inspection of every unit on the City’s form, after making any repairs it shows, and a new rental must be licensed at least 30 days before it is offered. A transfer of ownership is reported within 30 days and the new owner tells the tenants how to reach them. Owner-occupied one-family homes and two-family homes, condominiums and cooperatives, buildings of more than twelve units and government-managed buildings are exempt. (White Plains Municipal Code, Title IV, Rental Housing Registry and License Program, §§ 4-28-3 to 4-28-9 (ordinance of June 18, 2018); City of White Plains, Rental Housing Registry & License Program)
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.