The Rent Guidelines Board held a public hearing at Cooper Union in Manhattan Monday.

Tenants and landlords got a chance to speak out last week in Brooklyn.

The board is proposing anywhere between 3.5 to 7-percent hikes on one-year leases, and 5.5 to 9.5-percent raises on two-year leases.

Landlords say it's needed to offset rising fuel costs and property tax hikes. Tenants say landlords already make a healthy profit and worry higher rents will force people out of the city.

"They really are making it unaffordable," said one tenant. "It's every single year and they listen with a smirk."

"Owners are still trying to pay their heating oil bills from last winter," said Jack Freund of the Rent Stabilization Association. "They're on credit. If they can't pay last year's bills, they're not going to get oil deliveries when next winter comes around and tenants are going to be out in the cold."

The board will announce its final decision Thursday.

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