Disability Rent Increase Exemption (DRIE)

1. How it Works

DRIE provides a rent freeze to tenants with disabilities. If their rent goes up, tenants with DRIE do not have to pay the higher rate. The City pays the difference between the current and future rent.

Once applied, it takes 10 – 15 days to hear back
You are not required to file taxes to qualify for DRIE
You will need to send documents. Never mail your original documents, just copies
You do not need your landlord’s permission to apply
Apply by mail or in person

Next section:

2. Determine Your Eligibility

2. Determine your eligibility

To be eligible for DRIE, you should be able to answer “Yes” to all of these questions:

Are you 18 years old or older?
Is your name on the lease?
Is your combined household income $50,000 or less in a year?
Do you spend more than one-third of your monthly income on rent?
Did you have income from the following benefits?
- Supplemental Security Income (SSI)
- Federal Social Security Disability Insurance (SSDI)
- U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) disability pension or compensation
- Disability-related Medicaid if you have received either SSI or SSDI in the past
Do you live in NYC in one of these types of housing?
- a rent stabilized apartment
- a rent controlled apartment
- a Mitchell-Lama development
- a Limited Dividend development
- a redevelopment company development
- a Housing Development Fund Company (HDFC) Cooperative development
- a Section 213 Cooperative unit
- a rent regulated hotel or single room occupancy unit

Take a short survey to see if you might be eligible for this or 30 other programs.

Am I Eligible?

Next section:

3. What You Need to Include

3. What you need to include

It’s important to include the right documents when you apply. Your documents show whether the program is right for you.

This page can help you choose the right documents for your application.

For each person applying, any one document:

Driver license or official photo ID
IDNYC
Birth certificate
Baptismal or another religious certificate
Passport
Social Security Card for dependents
Social Security Card or ITIN
Marriage records
Medicaid card
Naturalization certificate
Official hospital or birth records
Official school records
Other official record showing birth date
Adoption records

For the household, a copy of all that apply:

For Rent Stabilized Apartment

Leases – The prior and current one or two-year lease signed by you and your landlord
Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) or 80/20 or 60/40 rider (if applicable) or DHCR Rent History
Preferential rent rider (if applicable)
DHCR approved MCI (Major Capital Improvement) order

For Rent Controlled Apartment (a copy of all of these)

Notice of Maximum Collectible Rent (Form # RN – 26) for current year
Notice of Maximum Collectible Rent (Form # RN – 26) for prior year
Owner’s report and Certification of Fuel Cost Adjustment (form # RA33.10) for prior and current year

For Rent Regulated Hotel Unit (send a copy of all that apply)

DHCR annual apartment registration for prior and current year
Signed Rent increase letter from the Management or Owner
DHCR Rent History
DHCR approved MCI (Major Capital Improvement) order

For Mitchell-Lama Limited Dividend Redevelopment (a copy of all of these)

A rent printout or letter from your management office specifying the start date and the amount of the prior and current rent increase
Capital Assessment document
Affidavit of Household Income for the prior year
Housing Preservation & Development (HPD) or Division of Housing & Community Renewal (DHCR) Commissioner’s Order

For Housing Development Fund Company (HDFC)

A Notice of Rent / Carrying Charge Increase signed by the HDFC Management
Signed renewal lease (if applicable)

For each income source of each income earner, any one document:

Wages & Salary

W2
Income tax return

Self-employment

1099-G
Award letter or certificate
Correspondence from NYS Department of Labor

Cash Assistance grant

Cash Assistance budget statement

Unemployment Income

Award letter or certificate
Current benefit check

Social Security benefits (SSI, Dependent, Disability, Survivor’s, Retirement)

Correspondence from Social Security Administration showing the benefit amount paid in the prior calendar year (e.g. Notice of Change in Payment for SSI benefit, or SSA-1099 SSDI benefit)

Veteran’s Benefits

Correspondence from Veteran’s Administration showing the disability pension or compensation amount paid in the prior calendar year

Pensions, Annuities, or IRA

1099-R,
Statement from pension or annuity

Interest, Dividends, Royalties

1099-DIV
1099-INT
Statement from bank, credit union, or financial institution

Support from other family members

Signed letter from friend/family stating amount of monetary assistance

Other income

Signed letter from boarder stating rental payments

Next section:

4. How to Apply

4. How to apply

Here are your options.

Print a paper application, pick one up from DRIE Walk-In Center: 66 John St, 3rd Flr New York, NY, 10038 (Monday – Friday 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.), or call 311 to request a paper application form mailed to you.
Mail the application to:
New York City Department of Finance, DRIE Unit
59 Maiden Ln, 22nd Floor
New York, NY, 10038

Applications forms are available in Chinese, Haitian Creole, Korean, Russian, and Spanish. Forms in Bengali are available from the center or 311.

Download the form

Print a paper application, pick one up from DRIE walk-in center at 66 John St, 3rd Flr New York, NY, 10038 (Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.), or call 311 to request a paper application form to be mailed to you
Complete your DRIE application and take it to:
DRIE Walk-In Center
66 John St, 3rd Floor
New York, NY, 10038
Open Monday – Friday, 8:30 a.m. – 4:30 p.m.

Find the office

Come back to it later.
We can send you a link to this page to help you get back to it when you’re ready.

Get help now

Rent freeze for people with disabilities