The public sounded off on potential rent hikes Wednesday evening at a Rent Guidelines Board hearing in Brooklyn.

The more than five hour meeting was held at the New York City College of Technology on Jay Street in downtown Brooklyn.

Landlords asked the nine-member panel for rent increases in order to offset fuel costs and property tax hikes.

Tenants said living in the city is expensive enough and the landlords do not deserve more money.

"So, the landlord is obviously doing quite well. They do not need a rent increase," said a tenant. "They do not do much in the way of maintenance. We don't have clean hallways. We don't have a good paint job. We have rats partying nightly in the courtyard where the garbage is."

Last month, the board suggested hikes of 3.5 to 7 percent on one-year leases, and 5.5 to 9.5 percent on two-year leases.

"We’re at a crisis point here, where a lot of owners can not afford to pay their oil bill. It's as simple as that,” said Jack Freund of the Rent Stabilization Association. “Now it's summer, they're still paying last year's fuel bills. When it comes to October and they have to turn on the oil again, they're not going to get a delivery if they can't pay last year's oil bills."

"You can't pay your bills. I can't pay my bills. And the City of New York keeps going on and on giving us increases after increases after increases," said landlord Margaret Interlandi. "The tax structure has to level off."

Brooklyn Borough President Marty Markowitz and City Council Speaker Christine Quinn were among those who testified.

Quinn blasted the Rent Guidelines Board, saying serious reform is needed.

"The Rent Guidelines Board has become a kangaroo court," she said. "You know this is a farce. Tenants come here year after year after year and no matter what the landlords book shows, no matter what the economic situation is, there are rent increases."

Quinn told the board that New Yorkers are not making enough money to pay annual increases. She is supporting a state bill that would restructure the board, withhold rent increases for landlords with building violations, and base any hike on a tenants' income.

The next hearing is set for Monday at Cooper Union in Manhattan.

The board will announce the rent hikes next Thursday.