A free, data-driven tool that tells NYC renters what their rent should actually be.
Live: lucidrents.com/fair-rent-engine
A renter searches for any NYC building. The tool returns:
- A quantitative fair price range based on the Zillow ZORI rent index, validated against comparable listings
- A multi-factor quality adjustment where building violations, 311 complaints, crime data, litigation history, and rent stabilization status each algorithmically raise or lower the fair rent
- A visual breakdown showing exactly how much each factor contributed to the determination (e.g. "HPD Violations: -5.2% / -$174/mo")
- A seasonal negotiation signal based on ZORI monthly trends and days on market
- Better options nearby — higher-rated comparable buildings in the same ZIP with scores, amenities, and median rents
The fair rent is not a single number from a single source. It's a 6-step algorithmic calculation where each step adjusts the price based on a different data signal:
Step 1: Base Price
└─ Median of comparable StreetEasy listings (same beds, sqft ±25%, 0.5mi)
└─ Fallback: Zillow ZORI index for this ZIP code
Step 2: ZORI Validation
└─ If comp median diverges >20% from ZORI → blend 70/30
Step 3: Amenity Adjustment (+/- up to 20%)
└─ Doorman +9%, Elevator +5%, In-unit laundry +4%, Gym +2%, etc.
└─ Walkup penalty -5% (inferred if no elevator)
Step 4: Seasonal Factor
└─ Current ZORI / 12-month average ZORI
└─ High season (>1.03x) vs low season (<0.97x)
Step 5: Quality Adjustment (NEW — the key differentiator)
├─ HPD Violations: above-average → -3% to -10% discount
├─ 311 Complaints: above-average → -2% to -6% discount
├─ Neighborhood Crime: Grade F → -7%, Grade A → +4% premium
├─ Active Litigations: harassment case → -8% discount
└─ Rent Stabilization: deregulation trend → -3% discount
└─ Total clamped to [-20%, +10%]
Step 6: Final Fair Price
└─ base × amenity × seasonal × (1 + quality_adjustment)
└─ Fair range: ±5% of fair price
| Source | What It Provides | Access |
|---|---|---|
| Zillow ZORI | ZIP-level monthly rent index | Free CSV download |
| NYC Open Data — HPD Violations | Class A/B/C violations per building | Free API |
| NYC Open Data — 311 Complaints | Complaint type, volume per address | Free API |
| NYC Open Data — HPD Litigations | Active/closed housing court cases | Free API |
| NYC Open Data — NYPD Crime | Crime by ZIP, category, YoY trend | Free API |
| Lucid Rents Database | Building scores, amenities, rents, reviews | Proprietary (400K+ buildings) |
| NYC RGB / nycdb | Rent stabilization status | Free |
- Framework: Next.js 16 (App Router, React 19)
- Styling: Tailwind CSS v4
- Animations: Framer Motion
- Charts: Recharts + custom SVG gauges
- Database: Supabase (PostgreSQL)
- APIs: NYC Open Data SODA REST (no auth required)
- Deployment: Vercel
src/
├── app/
│ ├── fair-rent-engine/page.tsx # Page entry point
│ └── api/fair-rent/analyze/route.ts # API: orchestrates all data + pricing
├── components/fair-rent/
│ ├── FairRentApp.tsx # Client root (input → loading → results)
│ ├── InputForm.tsx # Building search + rent entry
│ ├── LoadingSequence.tsx # Animated step-by-step loading
│ ├── ResultsShell.tsx # Results layout with staggered reveals
│ ├── PricingVerdict.tsx # SVG gauge: overpriced/fair/good deal
│ ├── FairPriceCard.tsx # Price range bar + methodology
│ ├── QualityBreakdown.tsx # Factor-by-factor breakdown card
│ ├── SeasonalSignalCard.tsx # Season meter + negotiation tip
│ ├── BuildingScorecardGrid.tsx # 2×2 grid: violations, 311, stab, legal
│ ├── NeighborhoodSafetyCard.tsx # Crime grade ring + trend
│ ├── TenantRightsCallout.tsx # Conditional rights alerts
│ ├── ComparablesCard.tsx # Better options nearby
│ └── types.ts # TypeScript interfaces
├── lib/fair-rent/
│ ├── pricing-model.ts # 6-step pricing algorithm
│ ├── constants.ts # Multipliers, thresholds, ZIP populations
│ ├── zori-lookup.ts # ZORI CSV parser + ZIP lookup
│ ├── nyc-open-data.ts # HPD, 311, litigations, crime fetchers
│ ├── rent-stabilization.ts # Stabilization check via Supabase
│ ├── streeteasy-scraper.ts # Comp scraping (fallback)
│ └── comparables.ts # Comparable buildings from DB
public/data/
│ └── zori-nyc.csv # Zillow rent index (106 NYC ZIPs)
- First-time NYC renters who don't know if a price is fair
- Low-income renters and immigrants who lack broker access
- Anyone evaluating an apartment who wants the same data a sophisticated broker has
NYC renters negotiate leases almost completely blind. Landlords know exactly how long a unit has been sitting, what comparable units rented for, and whether the building has code violations. Tenants have Zillow and intuition.
The Fair Rent Engine closes that information gap — for free, using 100% public data.
Built by Lucid Rents — rental intelligence for NYC, LA, Chicago, Miami, and Houston.