Tenant Rights - NYC Building Listed as Vacant During Renovation

In a horrifying revelation in tenant rights (or lack thereof), the city has acknowledged it has no system in place to verify that under-construction buildings are unoccupied, and must trust landlords to correctly file paperwork regarding buildings’ occupancy status, according to the New York Times.

Residents of Williamsburg’s iconic, formerly blighted 292 Bedford Avenue have complained of ongoing renovation work compromising the health of tenants who, despite what the paperwork says, are very much still living in their apartments within the building. False documentation of occupied units means tenants cannot expect protection from health risks like excessive dust, concrete, blocked exits or even lead poisoning.

292 Bedford, which includes rent-stabilized units, has since been issued a stop-work order as well as various fines. In February, building manager Isaac Rosenberg was charged with bribing New York City inspectors to have building violations dismissed, according to the New York Times.

The commercial ground-floor space of the structure has been genuinely vacant for decades, but is slated to reopen soon as Witlof, a Flemish brasserie from the creator of Radegast Hall. The entire five-story building was bought by an LLC last May for $6,000,000. Former landlord George Wanat had previously purchased the building for just $22,600 in 1976.

Despite efforts by Mayor de Blasio, local communities and the outspoken tenants themselves, landlord corruption remains seemingly ubiquitous and often lightly punished in Brooklyn. The system in place is relatively tolerant of neglect which compromises the health and wellbeing of residents.

Williamsburg Construction

[Source: NY Times | Photo: Cate Corcoran]

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