With less than two weeks left in office, Mayor Eric Adams on Thursday announced four appointments and reappointments to the city’s Rent Guidelines Board, a move that could complicate Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani’s plan to freeze rents for more than 1 million stabilized apartments.

Adams reappointed Arpit Gupta, a finance professor at NYU Stern, and Christina Smyth, the founder and owner of a real estate law firm. He also appointed Lliam Finn, a senior financial advisor, and Sagar Sharma, deputy director at Legal Services NYC. The appointments take effect this week.

What You Need To Know

  • Mayor Eric Adams appointed four members to the Rent Guidelines Board on Thursday, with just two weeks left in office

  • The Rent Guidelines Board will now have a majority of five Adams appointees, who may favor rent hikes

  • Tenant advocates and the Legal Aid Society said the move could undermine a rent freeze, a core principle of Mamdani’s campaign

  • Mamdani’s transition team, however, still vows to pursue a four-year rent freeze despite appointments

The nine-member board, which makes decisions about rent increases for stabilized apartments, will now have five members appointed by Adams — a majority that could sway the board to follow landlord cost data rather than grant a rent freeze for tenants, a cornerstone of Mamdani’s campaign.

“We’re using every tool in our toolbox to tackle our city’s housing crisis, and that includes appointing smart, seasoned experts to the city’s Rent Guidelines Board,” Adams said in a statement. “These respected appointees bring decades of experience in the housing sector and I am confident they will serve as responsible stewards of our city’s housing stock, using facts and data to reach the right decision for both tenants and property owners.”

Tenant advocates reacted strongly to the news, with the New York State Tenants Bloc saying residents would “fight alongside Mayor-elect Mamdani to secure a rent freeze in June.”

“We’re getting our rent freeze. Over 1 million New Yorkers just voted for a mayor who will freeze the rent,” Sumathy Kumar, managing director of the group, said in a statement. “And landlord profits are up 12%, while we’re forced to choose between paying the rent and paying for groceries.”

The Legal Aid Society also condemned the last-minute appointments, saying that under Adams, the board approved rent increases every year for a cumulative increase of 12%.

“These new appointments threaten to lock in yet another rent increase, precisely when families across the city are struggling to make ends meet,” the organization said. “A rent freeze is not a political luxury — it is a lifeline for countless New Yorkers.”

In a statement Friday, Mamdani’s transition team said it remains committed to enacting a freeze.

“We are just as committed to a four-year rent freeze for the more than two million rent-stabilized tenants who call this city home and deserve relief amidst this affordability crisis. We will use all the tools at our disposal to deliver it and last-minute appointments do not change these facts,” the statement read.