The effects of epitaxial strain induced by lattice mismatch and substrate type on the structure and magnetic properties of Y2NiMnO6 thin films have been systematically investigated. Y2NiMnO6 thin films grown on (001)-oriented LaAlO3 (LAO), (La,Sr)(Al,Ta)O-3 (LSAT), and SrTiO3 (STO) substrates with varying film thickness are obtained by a simple polymer assisted deposition method. X-ray diffraction and Raman scattering observations indicate that the single-phase epitaxial films are successfully obtained. By magnetic measurements, it is found that all the films show an obvious ferromagnetic transition with a lower transition temperatures (Tc) than that of the Y2NiMnO6 bulk. With the biaxial tensile strain decreasing or the film thickness increasing, the Tc of the film increases. Besides, due to the different strain states of the films and the different surface migrations of the substrates, the structure and magnetic properties show a strong dependence on the type of substrate. It is suggested that the biaxial tensile strain and substrate type have crucial effects on the structure, magnetic properties and the related Tc of the thin film, which can be utilized to engineer the magnetic properties of the films and the related ferroelectricity. (C) 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.