Judge backs rent freeze

A Manhattan judge has upheld a yearlong rent freeze, tossing a lawsuit filed by a group of 25,000 landlords who claimed city officials improperly considered tenant affordability when enacting the moratorium last summer.

The group, the Rent Stabilization Association, plans to appeal.

“The ruling is tantamount to giving Mayor Bill de Blasio carte blanche to making independent boards — like the Rent Guidelines Board — his personal playground to advance his political agenda,” said RSA president Joseph Strasburg.

The Rent Guidelines Board, made up of members appointed by the mayor, sets yearly rates for the million-plus rent-stabilized units across the city.