State and city lawmakers are preparing to push for new legislation, supported by tenant advocacy groups, that would give the City Council greater power over rent regulations.

Under the bill, members of the Rent Guidelines Board, which votes on rent increases for rent-stabilized apartments, would have to be approved by the City Council. The change could turn the organization’s composition into a political issue: The nine board members now are appointed by the mayor alone and must include two supporters of tenants’ interests, two supporters of landlords, and five who represent the general public.

Council Member Letitia James said yesterday that she plans to introduce a resolution on Wednesday asking the state Legislature to pass the bill, which state Senator Thomas Duane and Assemblyman George Latimer are expected to submit next week in Albany.

“We should be the ultimate decision maker when it comes to rent guidelines,” Ms. James said.

The bill also would overhaul the process by which the Rent Guidelines Board determines changes to rent. Rent increases presently are based on a survey of operating costs for landlords; under the proposed legislation, this practice would be prohibited and landlords’ net incomes, which they would be required to submit to the board, would be considered when deciding rent increases. In addition, tenants would no longer have to renew leases on their apartments and instead would be granted the right to stay so long as they paid rent.

The president of the Rent Stabilization Association, Frank Ricci, said yesterday that his group would oppose the bill, which he said would squeeze landlords.

“This legislation ignores the reality of rising taxes, rising fuel prices, and rising water rates, to make this a more political process than it already is,” he said.