Several laws were recently approved by the state for more than 5 million New York City renters.

The laws are designed to give stronger protections for renters in the city. They now have new state guidelines on their side to help protect them against illegal rent hikes and evictions.

One of the new measures restricts landlords from asking new tenants to pay months in advance for an apartment.

Adolfo Abreu is with the Northwest Bronx Community and Clergy Coalition. The group lobbied in Albany to get several state rent laws modified that for years favored landlords.

He says one of those changes is preferential rent.

The new state regulations also eliminate "vacancy bonus" for landlords, which was a 20% bonus given to them by the state when a tenant moved out.

Under the new guidelines, security deposits must also be returned to a tenant within 14 days. Rent advocates say they are still many loopholes at the state level that leave tenants vulnerable to unscrupulous landlords.

They say the best protection is to know your rights.