# Boom of tiny NYC apartment buildings due to developers gaming tax-relief program

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/boom-of-tiny-nyc-apartment-buildings-due-to-developers-gaming-tax-relief-program/
- Published: 2026-11-12T23:58:37+00:00
- Updated: 2026-11-13T00:25:58+00:00
- Original publisher: New York Post (publisher lean: Right)
- Original article: https://nypost.com/2026/11/12/business/boom-of-tiny-nyc-apartment-buildings-due-to-developers-gaming-tax-relief-program/
- Topics: Entertainment, Gaming, Software, Technology, World

## Key points

- Small New York apartment projects have surged under the 485-x tax rules.
- Developers can keep buildings below 100 units to qualify for lighter requirements.
- The city needs 700,000 new homes over the next decade.

## Summary

New York City has seen a sharp rise in apartment projects with fewer than 100 homes, as developers structure buildings to qualify for more favourable tax relief. The trend matters because the city needs far more housing, while the rules may encourage smaller developments instead of larger projects in areas that can support greater density.

The Real Estate Board of New York counted 172 new or planned projects with under 100 units between July 2024 and September 2026, compared with 13 recorded from 2008 to 2023. Brooklyn had 65 such projects and Queens 58; some larger developments have been split across connected buildings or multiple addresses, each capped at 99 apartments. Under the 485-x programme, projects below 100 units generally need 20% affordable homes and face no construction-wage requirement, while larger schemes must meet stricter affordability and pay rules.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.