NEW YORK — The Rent Guidelines Board held its first of a series of public hearings and meetings to look at potential rent increases. 

All of the meetings are virtual again this year. 

The board's decision affects those living in the roughly one million rent-stabilized apartments across the city.

Last June, the board decided to keep rents flat for one-year leases, and include a 1% increase during the second year of two-year leases that started last October.

The board is reviewing studies on income, expenses, and affordability as it considers what to do this year.

"I believe that next year, our work will be done face to face, not screen to screen and this year, like last year our little corner of the government must do its work in accordance with law to ensure that we have a healthy housing stock for New Yorkers to live in as we move from crisis mode back to something resembling normalcy," said NYC Rent Guidelines Board Chair David Reiss.

All of the board members are appointed by the mayor. 

The board's next meeting is on April 29. 

A preliminary vote is expected on May 5.