A pro-landlord member of the Rent Guidelines Board resigned in protest on Thursday ahead of a vote that many expect will result in a rent freeze that Mayor Zohran Mamdani made a central plank of his mayoral campaign.
In her resignation letter, Christina Smyth, a member representing property owners appointed by former Mayor Eric Adams, accused the other members of ignoring rising operating costs of landlords in its monthslong process to decide whether to raise rents.
“This rebuilt board was required to deliver a rent freeze,” she wrote. “Everything since has been theater. The hearings, the reports, the public comment, the data. None of it was ever going to change the result.”
Smyth, a landlord attorney, accused the board of crossing a “legal line” in a statement she shared by email, but did not immediately respond to additional questions.
The resignation adds another layer of intrigue to an already contentious annual event, but will likely not have a practical impact on the vote. Only a five-person quorum is required under Rent Guidelines Board rules, and Mamdani has appointed six members to date.
The nine-member board is composed of a mix of tenant advocates, landlord representatives and housing experts. All are appointed by the mayor to fixed terms of two or four years. Mamdani has appointed five new members and kept one first appointed by his predecessor Adams. Two now remain from Adams' tenure after Smyth's resignation, with one seat open.
Board Chair Chantella Mitchell said the abrupt resignation took her by surprise, but defended the integrity of the board's process.
“I want to take this opportunity to affirm the independence with which this year’s board members have served, along with the rigor and integrity demonstrated by the RGB staff in preparing and presenting data I thank them all, including Christina, for their service."
Sumathy Kumar, head of Housing Justice for All, suggested Smyth's comments were disingenuous.
“Christina Smyth was fine with this process when it served the interests of landlords," Kumar said. "Tenants have organized to ensure it serves ours — and we are the majority in New York.”
In a brief phone call Thursday morning, economist Arpit Gupta, one of the board’s five public members, said he had not yet seen Smyth’s full statement but said “I understand her perspective."
Gupta, an appointee of former Mayor Eric Adams, has described his support for a rent increase and said he plans to attend the vote tonight.
A rent freeze is not guaranteed. The independent panel voted last month to consider increases up to 2% on one-year leases and 4% on two-year leases.
This story has been updated with additional comment.
