Forum
« what's this thing in wall of brownstone? sliding door from 303 Washington Avenue »
November 17, 2007
New Landlord has no clue of responsibilities
I own a 2 family brownstone and live in the triplex (parlor up) and rent the garden level. I am new to the landlord thing and I am not sure if it is my responsibility to 1) clear the leaves in the walled off parapet area (the area beside the stoop that is the tenants entrance area). It is teeming with leaves and I'm not sure if I take care of it as the tenant isn't 2) When snow falls or ice sets in, am I also responsible for shoveling the snow and de-icing the area and the steps leading down to it.
Comments
you're responsibly for the clearing of snow, ice and leafs. unless you made a deal with the tenant that they take care of their own entrance.
Posted by: armchairwarrior at November 17, 2007 7:26 PM
unless those arrangements have been stipulated in your tenant's lease, you had better get the rake out, buy a snow shovel, and oh, some salt... because if one of your tenants should slip and break a leg your tenants could sue you!
Posted by: bren at November 17, 2007 7:45 PM
Anything outside of the tenants apartment is your job to keep clean and clear.
Posted by: Rick at November 17, 2007 7:56 PM
what an idiot. the tenant doesn't own the building, you do! if they slip and fall this winter, you'll find out pretty darn quick whose responsibility it is when they slap you with a lawsuit!
Posted by: guest at November 17, 2007 11:15 PM
a good rule of thumb is to assume pretty much everything is your responsibility. good tenants will help out with stuff, but it's not a given. adding to bren's comment, make sure the sidewalk in front of the house is kept clean as well, cuz if anybody walking by slips and falls, they can sue too. i can't remember the exact measurement, but i believe even a portion of the street/gutter in front of your place is also your responsibility. this also ties into the sanitation dept, who can fine you for garbage in front of your house, even if it's not yours.
and don't forget that a lot of what's INSIDE the tenant's apartment is also your responsibility, maintenance of appliances, radiators, etc.
Posted by: Jimmy Legs at November 18, 2007 12:51 PM
obviously = joke
Posted by: guest at November 18, 2007 8:28 PM
did you never rent an apartment before you bought this building?
Posted by: guest at November 19, 2007 10:14 AM
Thanks for all the comments. I had always rented in large apartment buildings with a super, asst. super and so on. So had no point of reference for a small building.
Posted by: guest at November 19, 2007 11:58 AM
Yes, but you didn't have to pay the super yourself to do the work - the building paid him. That should have given you a clue....
Posted by: guest at November 20, 2007 5:40 PM
Post a comment
Please be patient while your comment is published. It may take a moment.