NYC Administrative Code subchapter 39 (Local Laws 162 and 171 of 2025) and DCWP rules in Title 6 RCNY

NYC self-storage schedule of rates and master schedule of rates

What the NYC self-storage schedule of rates must contain, how the master schedule of rates differs, and the disclosures due 1 November 2026.

Updated 4 September 2026 · 9 min read · Written from the public text of the law; sources at the end.

Every licensed New York City self-storage operator must hand a schedule of rates to each customer before they sign an occupancy agreement, keep a copy signed by the customer, and post a master schedule of rates on the facility's website. The first duty comes from Local Law 171 of 2025 (Administrative Code 20-566.3), in force since 25 August 2026. The two documents, and what goes in each, are defined in DCWP's rules adopted in August 2026 (6 RCNY 2-491 and 2-494). DCWP's FAQ says it expects the price disclosures to be in place from 1 November 2026.

The distinction matters because the proposed rule from April 2026 had a single "schedule of rates" that listed every unit class and went on the website. Industry commenters said that would confuse customers, and DCWP split it. If you drafted on the April text, rebuild on the adopted text described here.

What the local law requires

Section 20-566.3 is short enough to quote in full:

§ 20-566.3 Schedule of rates. Every self-storage facility operator shall, upon request from the department, provide schedules showing the occupancy fee and any other rates and charges for the storage of property in the facility. Prior to entering into an occupancy agreement, the self-storage facility operator shall provide the schedule of all rates and charges to the individual requesting the use of the self-storage facility. One copy of this schedule shall be retained by the individual requesting storage and another shall be signed by such individual and retained by the self-storage facility operator. Any rate or charge not included on such document may not be collected without prior notice to the occupant.

Four obligations sit in that paragraph: schedules to DCWP on request, the schedule to each prospective occupant before the agreement, a signed copy kept, and no charge collected that is not on the document without prior notice.

Two documents, two audiences

The adopted rule defines both terms in 6 RCNY 2-491.

Schedule of rates. "Schedule of rates" means a list including the occupancy fee that an occupant will be charged and the difference in price, if any, between such occupancy fee and the occupancy fee then listed on the schedule of rates, and all other rates or charges that may be imposed in connection with the occupancy or use of such storage units including, but not limited to, late payment fees and other penalty fees. For each rate or charge, the schedule of rates must include a description of each such charge, whether the charge is mandatory or optional, and the amount of each charge expressed in dollars.

Master schedule of rates. "Master schedule of rates" means a list of all occupancy fees charged for each class of storage units sharing material attributes, such as size, type, or location, and all other rates or charges that may be imposed in connection with the occupancy or use of such storage units including, but not limited to, late payment fees and other penalty fees. For each rate or charge, the master schedule of rates must include a description of each such charge, whether the charge is mandatory or optional, and the amount of each charge expressed in dollars.

The first definition's phrase "the occupancy fee then listed on the schedule of rates" reads as circular. DCWP's FAQ resolves it: the customer's schedule must show "any difference in price between the occupancy fee to be charged to the consumer and the occupancy fee in the then-current master schedule of rates for the same class of unit". Read it that way.

	Schedule of rates	Master schedule of rates
Who receives it	The individual customer, before signing	The public (website) and DCWP on request
Occupancy fee shown	The fee this customer will pay	All fees for every class of unit
Difference from list price	Yes, if the customer's fee differs from the master schedule for that class	Not applicable
Other rates and charges	All that may apply, including late and penalty fees	All that may apply, including late and penalty fees
Per charge	Description, mandatory or optional, dollar amount	Description, mandatory or optional, dollar amount
Signature	Signed and dated by the customer; operator keeps that copy	Not signed
Retention	At least three years, electronic (6 RCNY 2-493(a)(2))	Keep each version you post (see the price increase records below)
Effective	Statute from 25 August 2026; rule definition from 17 September 2026	Website posting duty (2-494(c)) from 1 November 2026

Building the customer's schedule of rates

A compliant schedule of rates for one customer contains:

[ ] The occupancy fee for the unit the customer is taking. Remember the definition in 20-566: "the total of all recurring fees that an occupant is required to pay to the owner of a self-storage facility for occupancy of and access to a storage space at such self-storage facility, excluding any penalty fees". If a recurring administration or access charge is mandatory, it is part of the occupancy fee, not a separate line.
[ ] The difference, if any, between that fee and the master schedule fee for the same class of unit (for example, a $40 introductory discount).
[ ] Every other rate or charge that may be imposed: late payment fees, lock cut fees, lien processing charges, insurance or protection plan, administrative fees, and anything else you might ever bill.
[ ] For each of those: a description, whether it is mandatory or optional, and the amount in dollars. A percentage alone does not satisfy "expressed in dollars".
[ ] A signature and date line for the customer, and a copy for them to keep.

The rule does not prescribe a layout or a form number, and DCWP has not published a model schedule. A single page with a short table is enough if every element is present.

The occupancy agreement itself carries three related price disclosures on its first page or pages (6 RCNY 2-494(b)(5)): the final amount payable for the initial transaction, itemized; the guaranteed duration of the occupancy fee in effect for the first month; and the maximum occupancy fee you could charge during the first 12 months. Those belong in the agreement, not the schedule, but the numbers must match. The 1 November 2026 checklist lists the full agreement contents.

Building the master schedule of rates

The master schedule is your public price list. It must list "all occupancy fees charged for each class of storage units sharing material attributes, such as size, type, or location". DCWP's FAQ adds that the descriptions of each class must be "clear and understandable" and that you decide how to group units, for example by size, type, features or location.

One point from the Notice of Adoption makes this workable: promotions are not required on the master schedule. DCWP wrote that the new definition "does not require the inclusion of promotions", so a targeted discount does not have to appear on the public list. It does have to appear on the customer's schedule of rates, as the difference from the master schedule fee.

Post the current master schedule "on its website in a clear and conspicuous manner" (6 RCNY 2-494(c)). The rule does not define "clear and conspicuous" here; a pricing page linked from the main navigation, with every class and every other charge in dollars, is the obvious reading. Update it whenever a list price changes, keep a dated copy of every version, and provide it to DCWP whenever the Department asks (20-566.3).

The two-year average increase disclosure

Alongside the schedules, 6 RCNY 2-494(i) creates a historical disclosure. You must disclose "the average percentage increase, as calculated in a manner prescribed by the Department on its website, imposed on individual occupants over the prior two calendar years beginning with the period from January 1, 2026 to December 31, 2027". The rule sets the mechanics:

Item	Requirement
First period covered	1 January 2026 to 31 December 2027
First posting deadline	1 February 2028
Frequency	Every 1 February, covering the prior two calendar years
Where	Clear and conspicuous on the facility website
To customers	A copy to any occupant before entering an occupancy agreement
Method	As prescribed by DCWP on its website

As of September 2026, we could not find the prescribed calculation method on DCWP's site. Until it appears, keep the underlying data: 6 RCNY 2-493(b) requires, for each disclosure, the data for the period disaggregated by occupant, showing each occupant's increase in dollars and as a percentage, plus records that clearly demonstrate the calculation. The period is already running, so capture per-occupant fee history from January 2026 if you have not.

DCWP's FAQ confirms the first consumer disclosure is due by 1 February 2028 for the period from 1 January 2026, and that from that date operators must keep an electronic copy of the historical disclosures for three years.

Charges outside the schedule

The last sentence of 20-566.3 bans collecting any rate or charge that is not on the signed schedule without prior notice. The rule fixes the notice period: 6 RCNY 2-494(d) requires the notice "at least 60 days prior to imposing such new rate or charge". That provision is in the group effective 17 September 2026, not 1 November. Keep a copy of every such notice and log it (2-493(a)(3)). The 60-day notice guide covers the three 60-day notices together.

The practical lesson is to over-include: a charge listed on the schedule from the start can be billed when it arises, while a missing one costs you 60 days' notice before the first time you charge it.

Advertising has to match

From 1 November 2026, 6 RCNY 2-496(a) makes it a deceptive trade practice to advertise or offer units "without disclosing occupancy fees more prominently than other pricing information", or without clearly and conspicuously disclosing the conditions to obtain the fee, its guaranteed duration, and "the total price of any non-recurring mandatory charge or fee required prior to occupancy, which must be as prominent as the occupancy fee". The numbers on your ads, your master schedule and your customers' schedules need to be the same numbers.

Penalties

6 RCNY 6-90 sets these amounts (first violation, second violation, third and later; default amounts in brackets):

Provision	Amounts
Failure to provide schedule of rates (20-566.3)	$750, $900, $1,000 ($1,000 on default)
Failure to give notice of a new rate or charge not on the schedule (20-566.3 and 2-494(d))	$750, $900, $1,000 ($1,000 on default)
Failure to post master schedule of rates (2-494(c))	$750, $900, $1,000 ($1,000 on default)
Failure to comply with average percentage increase posting, or to provide it before an agreement (2-494(i))	$750, $900, $1,000 ($1,000 on default)
Advertising violations (2-496)	$525, $1,050, $3,500

Each provision charged is a separate violation, and 20-566.6 allows suspension or revocation after five or more violations within two years.

What to keep on file

[ ] A template schedule of rates with every possible charge listed, described, marked mandatory or optional, and priced in dollars.
[ ] For each occupant: the signed and dated schedule of rates, stored electronically for at least three years, and the log entry recording the date and method it was transmitted.
[ ] The current master schedule of rates on the website, plus a dated archive of every previous version.
[ ] A per-occupant fee history from 1 January 2026 onward, in dollars and percentages, ready for the February 2028 disclosure.
[ ] Copies of every 60-day notice for a new rate or charge, with log entries. See recordkeeping and the notice log.

Frequently asked questions

What is the schedule of rates for a NYC self-storage facility?

A document you give each customer before they sign an occupancy agreement. Under 6 RCNY 2-491 it lists the occupancy fee that person will pay, any difference from the fee on your master schedule, and every other rate or charge that may apply, each with a description, whether it is mandatory or optional and the amount in dollars.

What is the master schedule of rates?

The public price list. It shows all occupancy fees for each class of unit sharing material attributes such as size, type or location, plus every other rate or charge, with descriptions, mandatory or optional status and dollar amounts. It must be posted on your website in a clear and conspicuous manner and given to DCWP on request.

Does the customer have to sign the schedule of rates?

Yes. Administrative Code 20-566.3 says one copy is kept by the customer and another is signed by the customer and kept by the operator. The signed, dated copy must be retained for at least three years in electronic format.

Can I charge a fee that is not on the schedule of rates?

Not without notice. The law says any rate or charge not on the schedule may not be collected without prior notice to the occupant, and 6 RCNY 2-494(d) sets that notice at least 60 days before the new charge is imposed.

Do promotions and targeted discounts have to appear on the master schedule of rates?

No. DCWP removed that requirement in the final rule. The Notice of Adoption says the master schedule of rates definition does not require the inclusion of promotions.

When does the two-year average price increase disclosure start?

The first period runs from 1 January 2026 to 31 December 2027. You must post the average percentage increase on your website by 1 February 2028, repeat it every 1 February, and give a copy to each prospective occupant before they sign.

When do the schedule of rates rules take effect?

The statutory duty in 20-566.3 has been in force since 25 August 2026. The DCWP definitions apply from 17 September 2026 and the website posting duty for the master schedule starts on 1 November 2026, which is the date DCWP's FAQ gives for all price disclosures.

Template kit · PDF + CSV

NYC Self-Storage Rate & Occupancy Notice Kit

For New York City self-storage operators. Schedule of rates, master-schedule checklist, 60-day fee increase notice and the written termination explanation.

$49 one-time · instant download · no account

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Blank templates built from the public law. Not legal advice, and not a filled-in document.

Sources

This guide is general information written from public statutes and agency materials as of 4 September 2026. Laws and agency rules change, and agencies sometimes read a statute differently from its text. It is not legal, tax or customs advice for your situation. Check the sources above or ask a licensed professional before you rely on it.