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September 30, 2009
Mailbox Issue
I have a three family brownstone, I live in the bottom apartment and rent out the top two. The mail for all three units is dropped in my downstairs gate by the mailman and I put the mail for the two tenants out in the secure hallway in unlocked boxes. My new tenant has an issue with not having his own locked mailbox and with me touching his mail. Am I legally obligated to install and give him his own locked mailbox? I think there are maybe two 3-family buildings on my block with those ugly silver units with separate locks, everyone else does it the way we do. Anyone?
Comments
No obligation on your part. Tell him to relax. Then, when his lease is up, raise his rent.
Posted by: henrycurtis at September 30, 2009 6:54 AM
Tell him this is the way it's done.
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at September 30, 2009 7:52 AM
"United States Postal regulations require landlords of buildings containing three or more apartments to provide secure mail boxes for each apartment unless the management has arranged to distribute the mail to each apartment. Landlords must keep the mail boxes and locks in good repair."
That's from the NYC Rent Stab. page.
http://www.housingnyc.com/html/resources/attygenguide.html#20
Throw his mail in the shredder.
Posted by: modsquad at September 30, 2009 7:55 AM
Seriously! This on top of his complaint about spiders and fruit flies, which has been so incessant I'm getting an exterminator in so he'll shut up...Plus, I gave him such a good deal on a really nicely renovated two bedroom, with dishwasher, washer/dryer, microwave, inset lights...etc. I'm just not going to renew his lease.
Thanks for the info!
Posted by: sdweihe at September 30, 2009 7:59 AM
While I realize this sounds like a nuisance, just because someone is a renter doesn't mean they can't have a right to some privacy.
While I can live happily enough with sharing a mailbox, I don't think it is that odd that someone would want a private mailbox.
I remember last time I lived in a place without a private mailbox being somewhat shocked by some of the mail my neighbors got...
Not sure if they were overwhelmed with happiness to know I could see what types of special offers they were getting for being such good customers.
Posted by: northsloperenter at September 30, 2009 9:16 AM
"Wanting" something and having the legal right to it are two different things.
Also, fruitflies??? Don't they mostly come from overripe fruit? You need to get this tenant out. One year lease, I hope!
Posted by: henrycurtis at September 30, 2009 9:20 AM
Really...is it so hard to understand that the tenant might not want his bills, magazines, prescriptions, private interests, etc., reviewed by you or other tenants? Frankly, it's not that hard or costly to install recessed mailboxes in the inside vestibule wall with a keykeeper outside for the letter carrier. Or, it's not that hard to install a separate hanging box just for this tenant on the gate under the stoop. Finally, it's also not that hard for the tenant to rent a private box at the local post office. The tenant just moved in and YOU'RE already unhappy; sounds like the complaints are a 2-way street. Also, when it comes to exterminating, that's your obligation as LL.
Posted by: vinca at September 30, 2009 9:29 AM
wow, I am ususally on tenants side but this is 2nd day in a row where I find in favor of landlord.
Tell him/her to rent a PO box if don't like it -otherwise this is the way it is done.
Lucky the the P.O, is getting the mail to the house at all.
Posted by: Petebklyn at September 30, 2009 9:29 AM
I agree that the mailboxes are quite unsightly. i wouln't want them or a key box haning on the side of my stoop.
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at September 30, 2009 9:31 AM
Vinca - How can LL be responsible for a tenant's having over-ripe fruit?
Posted by: Arkady at September 30, 2009 9:38 AM
It is not the LL reponsibilty to exterminate for fruitflies!! That is insane.
Posted by: henrycurtis at September 30, 2009 9:39 AM
Also, it is OK for the tenant to ask for a different mail situation. But it is equally OK for the LL to say, "no, this is the way we do it here." If it were SO important tot he tenant, you'd think he would have noticed and asked about it before signing the lease. Wow!!!
Posted by: henrycurtis at September 30, 2009 9:41 AM
DIBS, not suggesting an outdoor installation (unless additional box on the gate). Boxes are recessed in the vestibule wall and keykeepers are recessed in the door surround at parlor level. Different story, and different LL-tenant relationship and obligations when only one tenant or when you have more. Arkady, do you know the tenant has overripe fruit, or is it possible there's another origin? Not going to argue the fruitfly/spider issue, nor argue whether sdweihe's giving as good a deal as claimed.
Posted by: vinca at September 30, 2009 9:47 AM
"If it were SO important tot he tenant, you'd think he would have noticed and asked about it before signing the lease."
When I was looking at apartments, I classified any concerns about the places I saw as (1) deal breakers or (2) something else.
If I wanted the apartment, I wouldn't bother discussing "something else" issues until I had a signed lease. I would only bring up deal breakers.
Once all the deal breakers got sorted out and the lease was signed, I would bring up any "something else" issues (with the understanding that I might not get what I wanted).
Posted by: northsloperenter at September 30, 2009 9:48 AM
vinca...on my neighborhood I don't think the mail delivery person would climb the steps to the parlour level.
Every house (at least the two families) gets it through the gate under the stoop.
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at September 30, 2009 9:51 AM
Bottom line is that you're stuck with an assh0le for a tenant and it sounds like it's likely to get worse. If he becomes conditioned to think you're going to jump everytime he pushes your button, that's a bad situation. Cut him off at the ....
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at September 30, 2009 9:53 AM
Seriously -- does he know how lucky he is that he's getting his mail at all? The postal service in this fair city is amazing in it's inability to deliver mail.
But specifically to respond to this situation, tell him to go get a P.O. Box.
By the way, how good is this "really good deal" and when you kick him out, can I have the place? Where is it? I'm a very nice tenant.
Posted by: tybur6 at September 30, 2009 10:02 AM
My tenants have the same mail delivery as you do, and no one has ever complained. Dave is right, as well, no one gets their mail above ground level on my block.
This tenant is my biggest fear - someone so picky about the little things that they make your life a living hell. Who wants those ugly mailboxes in the vestibule? Yuk. When I sort my tenant's mail, I don't look to see what they have, I could care less, unless they get packages from Terrorists R Us.
Also fruit flies are attracted to.....fruit. Being required to exterminate for that is like being responsible for a tenant getting cancer from smoking in your building. Is no one responsible for their own actions, or their care in leaving food out?
Posted by: Montrose Morris at September 30, 2009 10:05 AM
My mailman tells me that the USPS policy is that they will NOT separate the mail in typical 1-3 family brownstones (or maybe 1-2) EVEN if they have a multi-unit box (which I had.) They'll get really pissed if you insist, and I would not piss off a mailman!
What's the bfg here? In10 years and 3 tenants, we get mail delivered sometimes up, sometimes down and we just separate it and put it in the other spot. Agreed, your tenant is too much. Get rid of him.
Posted by: cmu at September 30, 2009 10:06 AM
Just because he's a jerk doesn't mean you don't have to provide a mailbox.
Put in the mailboxes!
Posted by: young archi at September 30, 2009 10:07 AM
MM, tell us more about your tenant's mail. :)
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at September 30, 2009 10:07 AM
"Once all the deal breakers got sorted out and the lease was signed, I would bring up any "something else" issues (with the understanding that I might not get what I wanted)."
Exactly. Case closed.
As for the fruitflies, the tenant needs to eat fruit faster.
As for the spiders, they could eat the fruitflies.
As for the tenant, don't give a new lease.
Posted by: henrycurtis at September 30, 2009 10:08 AM
By the way, how good is this "really good deal" and when you kick him out, can I have the place? Where is it? I'm a very nice tenant.
Posted by: tybur6 at September 30, 2009 10:02 AM
Yaeh, LOL, check out his post in the boiler thread. Complaining about the lack of decorative murals in the basement. LOL :)
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at September 30, 2009 10:11 AM
"Just because he's a jerk doesn't mean you don't have to provide a mailbox."
Oh, but it does mean exactly that.
Posted by: henrycurtis at September 30, 2009 10:14 AM
Bills, bills, junk, junk, magazine, junk, junk, bills, junk, junk. That's the entirety of the mail delivered to this address. I also still get mail for people who haven't lived here in years, so file that under junk, too. That's about it, Dave. ;)
Posted by: Montrose Morris at September 30, 2009 10:15 AM
Recently it has to've been 95% political fliers.
Posted by: Arkady at September 30, 2009 10:18 AM
Plus with the carelessness of some mail carriers, you inevitably get someone else's mail a few times. My old apartment, a brownstone, we all were subscribed to the New Yorker. Did I get the one with the "infinitejester" label on it all the time? Hardly. I also got my neighbor's Carnegie Hall calendars.
We should also have private booths in grocery stores, so when I buy Spam I don't have to get disapproving looks.
Posted by: infinitejester at September 30, 2009 10:21 AM
I used this service to stop previous tenants junk mail from clogging my boxes. I know it as Green Dimes but it looks like they are going through a rebranding and also changed their service a bit. I'd say it's about 85% effective, which is better than nothing. http://mailstopper.tonic.com/
Posted by: diego at September 30, 2009 10:23 AM
Hey DIBS... that boiler thread, while very informative and useful, is snoozeville. Pretty murals in the basement is just a preference. I wouldn't complain to my landlord if the basement wasn't cheery enough. Nope I wouldn't.
Oh MM -- my house gets a crap load of mail for people that have NEVER lived there. And I mean a crap load. It's sort of an interesting phenomenon. Properly addressed... they just don't exist.
Posted by: tybur6 at September 30, 2009 10:24 AM
Also, before you throw out your junk mail, make sure there aren't any bills stuck inside. I find this happens all the time.
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at September 30, 2009 10:28 AM
I was actually thinking of posting on the topic of mail today-- I live in a 4 unit building and about 5 times in the last 3 weeks the mailman has just thrown the unsorted mail on the floor of the vestibule instead of putting it in the apartments' mail boxes. Anyone else have this issue?
Posted by: fawn at September 30, 2009 10:29 AM
I get quite a lot w/ the street number one digit off - an added one or a one left off for instance. Usually I can find it in the phone book & I forward it - esp. if it looks like a bday card or something. We also have days when the entire delivery is one house off so everyone gets his nextdoor neighbor's mail & there're times I've opened something w/out looking because it's a bill I get too. So much for the privacy issue.
Posted by: Arkady at September 30, 2009 10:30 AM
fawn..they're postal workers and they abide by the typical union mentality.
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at September 30, 2009 10:31 AM
The guy who lived in my apartment before me, he got a student loan bill. I kept it for three months before deciding to open it and read it.
He owed $18,000 past due. the letter said, "Think very carefully before deciding what to do with this letter - your actions will have long-term consequences."
Posted by: infinitejester at September 30, 2009 10:36 AM
fawn - I find that the regular route mailman does a higher quality job with delivery than do substitue/replacement mailmen. My building actually has an ugly box outside with a key for their access, but it sometimes isn't used.
The tenant in question, whose inane requests started this thread, should take note of that. Mail privacy is pretty tough to ensure. thats what the brown wrappers on mail is for - but that is a giveaway too, isn't it???
Posted by: henrycurtis at September 30, 2009 10:37 AM
"Just because he's a jerk doesn't mean you don't have to provide a mailbox."
'Oh, but it does mean exactly that.'
No. USPS and MDL require a mailbox. Put in the mailbox.
Posted by: young archi at September 30, 2009 10:39 AM
Just because he's a jerk doesn't mean you don't have to provide a mailbox."
'Oh, but it does mean exactly that.'
No. USPS and MDL require a mailbox. Put in the mailbox
young archi - The OP lives in a three family (two rental apartments) house. The requirement only applies to three or more rental apartment buildings. There is no obligation, legal or otherwise, in the case. Sorry.
Posted by: henrycurtis at September 30, 2009 10:43 AM
My friend once got sued by his drug dealing tenant because he hurt himself falling down the stairs, running from the police. It eventually got tossed out of the courts, but cost him big bucks in legal fees. It was one of the reasons he got out of the landlord business for a while. Who needs the aggravation some people can cause you?
Posted by: Montrose Morris at September 30, 2009 10:44 AM
you know what, i take that back. i believe MDL allows you to deliver the mail to your tenants - don't think USPS does though...
Posted by: young archi at September 30, 2009 10:44 AM
If the mailman (person) is Ok with the "through the gate" situation, this tenant is going to have to navigate through the USPS to get any enforcement of anything else. Good luck with that.
Talk to your regular mail carrier, tip him/her and ask their opinion. That'll front run this tenant's likley confrontational demeanor with the mail carrier.
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at September 30, 2009 10:46 AM
"you know what, i take that back. i believe MDL allows you to deliver the mail to your tenants - don't think USPS does though..."
They sure do.
Posted by: henrycurtis at September 30, 2009 10:48 AM
Just because he's a jerk doesn't mean you don't have to provide a mailbox."
'Oh, but it does mean exactly that.'
No. USPS and MDL require a mailbox. Put in the mailbox
'young archi - The OP lives in a three family (two rental apartments) house. The requirement only applies to three or more rental apartment buildings. There is no obligation, legal or otherwise, in the case. Sorry.'
"United States Postal regulations require landlords of buildings containing three or more apartments to provide secure mail boxes for each apartment unless the management has arranged to distribute the mail to each apartment. Landlords must keep the mail boxes and locks in good repair."
Where are you coming up with the fact that the OPs unit does not qualify as an apartment? I don't deal with USPS, but MDL definition of a multiple dwelling (and every other legal definition I've encountered) is 3 or more apartments - whether the owner lives there or China makes no difference in this definition.
Posted by: young archi at September 30, 2009 10:51 AM
I agree fully with daveinbedstuy. $10 or $20 at Christmas time leads to excellent service throughout the year. Same is true for sanitation, by the way.
Posted by: henrycurtis at September 30, 2009 10:53 AM
henrycurtis, the specifics were posted above...
"United States Postal regulations require landlords of buildings containing three or more apartments to provide secure mail boxes for each apartment unless the management has arranged to distribute the mail to each apartment. Landlords must keep the mail boxes and locks in good repair."
That's from the NYC Rent Stab. page.
http://www.housingnyc.com/html/resources/attygenguide.html#20
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at September 30, 2009 10:53 AM
daveinbedstuy and young archi - I maintain that the rule is for rental apartments only. The OP has two. In many cases, the LL gets their mail at a different entrance entirely (upstoop/downstoop etc.) The regulations on the link are vague in this respect. No way the post office enforces this in this case.
Posted by: henrycurtis at September 30, 2009 11:06 AM
My sanit workers wouldn't take a tip.
Posted by: Arkady at September 30, 2009 11:16 AM
hc
don't see what's vague about it - 3 apartments are 3 apartments - makes no difference to a tenant whether the other 2 parties in a building own or rent...i guess its possible i'm just used to MDL where it doesn't matter who lives there - 3+ units = multiple dwelling
however, the link is 3rd party - if it were me i'd probably research USPS regs to make sure the above posted link was accurate.
If so, I'd put in the mailbox, not because I thought USPS would enforce the rule but because @$$hole tenants tend to know how to leverage legal technicalities in their favor when it comes time to pay rent...
Posted by: young archi at September 30, 2009 11:17 AM
"buildings containing three or more apartments" means 3 or more units to the building.
And, the USPS DOES NOT deliver to two different locations in brownstones.
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at September 30, 2009 11:18 AM
"And, the USPS DOES NOT deliver to two different locations in brownstones."
$20 at Christmas time does the trick.
Posted by: henrycurtis at September 30, 2009 11:24 AM
"If so, I'd put in the mailbox, not because I thought USPS would enforce the rule but because @$$hole tenants tend to know how to leverage legal technicalities in their favor when it comes time to pay rent..."
That actually makes a lot of sense to me. More reason to get Mr. Fruit Fly out ASAP.
Posted by: henrycurtis at September 30, 2009 11:25 AM
USPS has a one-point delivery policy. They'll deliver mail upstairs or downstairs, but unless you've got a great carrier, they won't deliver to both at the same address. When our carrier went from someone great to someone terrible, we installed boxes in the vestibule and a keykeeper outside. Until then, the new carrier seemed to take pleasure in avoiding the letter slot that had been used for decades and scattering the mail over the top of the gate. It happens that the design of the gate under our stoop could easily accommodate additional brass slots for more than one tenant. We now vastly prefer the boxes in the vestibule as it means dry mail regardless of carrier, and regardless of weather. I understand that it's not usual in some neighborhoods for carriers to climb steps. They do it in PS, but depending on carrier, they also grumble about it. For me, both tenant and OP sound stubborn and high-maintenance. And re: number of units, the number of units is determined by the CO, and not by whether the LL lives on premises or how many units are rented.
Posted by: vinca at September 30, 2009 11:26 AM
BTW, the other advantage of the keykeeper arrangement is that when packages are sent by USPS (rather than Fedex, etc.) and don't require a signature, the package delivery carrier can also gain access and leave delivery inside vestibule rather than the misery of a notice of attempt to deliver and trip to the PO.
Posted by: vinca at September 30, 2009 11:32 AM
OK. Ittakes a big man to admit he's wrong...Enough authoritative vocies are saying I'm wrong, so maybe I am! I argue with conviction - right, or wrong. Until I yield.
But I still say...most people could care less about this mail issue, including the USPS!! The fact that Fruit Fly is making this an issue (among other issues), is a bad sign.
Posted by: henrycurtis at September 30, 2009 11:34 AM
vinca, LOL. ANybody ever tried to get a USPS package redilivered or rerouted??? ROTFLMMFAO.
I get everything delivered to my offfice for this very reason. USPS was supposed to be delivering my tax forms but never got thenm and they never put a notice on the door. I found out a week later when y accountant called about them.
I avoid USPS for anything of importance or larger than what will fit through the gate.
BTW, I cut some of the metal bars out of the top of the grate just for this purpose.
THERE IS NO WAY ON GOD'S EARTH THAT I WILL GO TO THE FULTON ST. POST OFFICE AGAIN AFTER HAVING BEEN THERE ONCE.
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at September 30, 2009 11:48 AM
Our usual carrier is good & knows that if someone isn't home for delivery he can leave it w/ a neighbor who is. Even UPS is aware of who will accept for whom.
Posted by: Arkady at September 30, 2009 11:56 AM
Beware of any tenant that asks for a private mailbox with a lock. , you are likely dealing with a tenant that will be running some sort of business from the apartment and wants to keep the nature of the business private. You as a residing legal three owner are not obligated to provide locking boxes as noted above, however, to make your life easier, investing in an Academy Corporation triple mail box unit with locks is not the worst idea in the world. Although legal, private owners distibuting mail is a little archaic these days...Good Luck!
Posted by: Crescent Hill at September 30, 2009 12:27 PM
You know, every time I move, I dread the mail situation at my new location...
Being able to getting 'no signature packages' delivered when I'm not around is massively important to me but it's not a "deal breaker", so I always go into a lease not knowing how that will work out.
Last place, worked out badly. Current place, has worked out great. Next place, who knows?!
Will I be able to get boxes of diapers delivered from Amazon.com or will my son become potty trained before he is 18 months old?? Time will tell.
If the latter, I plan to write a book called "I Potty Trained My Son in 4 Days Because I Couldn't Get Diapers Delivered and You Can Too!"
Posted by: northsloperenter at September 30, 2009 12:29 PM
I had an issue like this. Rather than being a douchebag and expecting my landlord to address my paranoia with an ugly mailbox - I got a PO Box at the post office.
Posted by: dirty_hipster at September 30, 2009 12:30 PM
Even I don't get mail in suspicious brown wrapping!!! I do get way too many Williams Sonoma catalogs and catalogs for lots of fugly outdoor garden ornaments. I can fill a 1 1/2' high box with catalogs in just over a week.
And usuaalyy it's my tenants who get the mail first , sort it and drop mine on the steps going up to my unit.
But I guess my tenants aren't psycho.
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at September 30, 2009 12:46 PM
I lived in a 3 family as a tenant and the landlord or whoever was home during the day when the mail got dropped through the mail slot sorted the mail and left it by the appropriate apt. door. No biggie, until...
I started having serious medical issues and would get 5-6 claims, bills, evidence of benefits from the insurance company coming in the mail. I heard through the window LL telling the neighbor that I must be really sick, no they didn't know what I had, etc.
I got a box at a mailboxes etc. (I think it's called something else now). Had all my medical stuff sent there.
I didn't blame the landlord for being curious, that's human nature. I just didn't like that he was gossiping about it with the neighbors. If this tenant has similar concerns they should get a private box.
also...
"We should also have private booths in grocery stores, so when I buy Spam I don't have to get disapproving looks."
IJ- That literally made me laugh out loud!
Posted by: TownhouseLady at September 30, 2009 12:46 PM
Many of the parcel/packing stores do convenient mail acceptance too. The one on 5th near Lincoln Pl. will take parcels even if you don't keep a box there permanently. You just put their mailing address & they charge a small fee. I think they phone when it comes in too.
Posted by: Arkady at September 30, 2009 12:47 PM
"You as a residing legal three owner are not obligated to provide locking boxes as noted above, however, to make your life easier, investing in an Academy Corporation triple mail box unit with locks is not the worst idea in the world. Although legal, private owners distibuting mail is a little archaic these days...Good Luck"
Hey ! Maybe I gave in too soon! Someone seems to be giving credence to my original argument...
Posted by: henrycurtis at September 30, 2009 12:51 PM
Give it up, henry.
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at September 30, 2009 1:14 PM
I agree Dave, lousy USPS service is the same reason why I, too, get important mail delivered to work and not to home. Ditto for mailing from the fantastic post offices near work, and not the pathetic Park Slope stations near home. That wasn't true about PS years ago, but it's unfortunately true now. As a LL, I can't and don't try to regulate a tenant's preferences. Once someone's signed a lease, I mostly have a live and let live policy. I find that easier to do through careful vetting before a lease is signed and the move is made. I prefer to spend time and energy on issues where the outcome is meaningful...can't even imagine turning mail delivery into a contest between LL and tenant, especially when a simple, amicable and enduring solution costs $150 max. Also agree with THL re: privacy. Happy to provide individual locked boxes at home address, and tenant who needs anything more can rent a PO box.
Posted by: vinca at September 30, 2009 1:16 PM
I have this mail setup with my landlord and am not so comfortable with it. So, I have a PO Box. It's nice to know I don't have to change my address every time I move. I do think it's better not to have your LL sifting through your mail.
In terms of fruitflies: The tenant just has a funky apartment. They should to stop throwing food into the garbage without wrapping it up. They need to clean.
Posted by: liexpat at September 30, 2009 1:28 PM
To the OP, it sounds like it's easier to install separate boxes for each apartment/tenant than it is to fight the issue with Problem Tenant, especially given the regulations cited above. Now that Problem Tenant has put you on notice about the mail delivery, I'd be leery that s/he will blame you if any mail goes astray. You don't want to be dealing with "I never got that book from my sister and she mailed it two weeks ago and I blame YOU" all the time.
Posted by: zeebee_in_bklyn at September 30, 2009 1:37 PM
zeebee, the regulations cited above state that the staus quo is acceptable.
As far as responding to a tenant blaming you for unreceived mail, walk away and slam the door.
This tenant will try and walk all over you if you give in on these issues.
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at September 30, 2009 2:07 PM
I agree with every poster on this thread that has at one time or another felt a violation of privacy knowing that their landlord has distributed/handled their mail. I also feel that any building owner who cashes more than 2 rent checks a month and resides in the building should not be handling mail. They should have an Academy box installed. This thread caused me to recollect a tidbit from my childhood when my bouffanted, cat's eyeglass frame wearing late Great Aunt's would gossip over a single female tenant who was receiving Frederick's of Hollywood Catalogues :)- the notion of owners handling the mail is outdated , install the triple box with locks and if you as the owner ever do handle the tenants mail, it was because it was placed in your box by accident.
Posted by: Crescent Hill at September 30, 2009 2:15 PM
so if landlord (or in my bldg perhaps one of the other tenants - whoever gets home 1st) touching your mail bothers you go live in some other bldg.
The tenant sounds like a major pain in the neck. Demanding and entitled and thinks he/she owns the place.
When he/she decides to buy a place -can do what they want.
Posted by: Petebklyn at September 30, 2009 2:48 PM
I'm curious, OP. Is the tanant upset with you seeing and handling his mail or the actual act of "touching" it??? Sounds like a severe case of OCD if it's the latter; along with the arachnophobia & drosophila melanogasterphobia.
Posted by: daveinbedstuy at September 30, 2009 3:01 PM
"Demanding and entitled and thinks he/she owns the place."
Actually, if the tenant thought he/she owned the place, he/she would just change the mailbox without consulting anyone.
Look, I understand that in some of these small buildings it is normal for everyone's mail to arrive together, but I don't see why some of you are so surprised that other people aren't comfortable with this.
You'd be hard pressed to find a rental building in Manhattan where the owner gets to browse through the tenants' mail every day.
The tenant may have other issues (e.g., fruit flies), but requesting a private mailbox does not seem so out of line to me.
It's not a question of whether or not the landlord "cares" about what kind of mail a tenant gets, because once the genie is out of the bottle you can't put it back again. What if the tenant is homosexual and gets some mail that makes this obvious? Even today, there are PLENTY of landlords in Brooklyn that would react badly to finding out their new tenant is gay. Or worse yet, what if he is a republican?!
If the landlord can and does refuse to install a private mailbox, then the tenant can go get a PO box, which is certainly doable but is extra expense and hassle and not as convenient as receiving your mail at home.
Posted by: northsloperenter at September 30, 2009 3:07 PM
Anyone who's bothered by someone else "handling" their mail should go live on a mountaintop. Unbelievable.
In 2-unit brownstones, the mailman will NOT separate the mail. So unless you have a trained monkey to split the mail, it will have to be handled by a human other than the addressee.
Posted by: cmu at September 30, 2009 4:33 PM
am sure even in Manhattan (why that matters more than someplace else I'm not sure) - if rent in townhouse (which there are plenty further uptown) mail for whole house comes in together. And maybe fewer today but plenty of the old apt bldgs sorted the mail by staff member and went into your cubbyhole and you picked up at desk.
I just know I would not do it. Somehow mailman needs a key to get into vestibule and then that ugly metal box.
(in my neigbhorhood the MM does walk up the stoop).
Posted by: Petebklyn at September 30, 2009 4:53 PM
Our mailman does separate mail in two-unit brownstones. My neighbors have helped by getting big boxes clearly labeled with last names and unit number.
Just sayin that in the scheme of things, this request seems reasonable. Exterminator for fruit flies? No. Mailbox? Yes. Regs say you can do it one of two ways, and tenant doesn't like your way. Like CH and NSR, I'm sympathetic to privacy concerns. Remedy is cheap and relieves you of liability and hassle. Thinking strategically, it's a good tradeoff against this tenant's other complaints and gives you some points as responsive to concerns.
Posted by: zeebee_in_bklyn at September 30, 2009 5:11 PM
I think some of you protest too much.
I think we have some secret mail snoopers on this board who only became landlords to check out their tenants late notices, charitable organizations, political affiliations, magazines, and favorite lingerie catalogs.
:)
Posted by: northsloperenter at September 30, 2009 7:21 PM
I understand the tenant, but he rented knowing this, didn't he? It seems like something that should be explained. I put in mailboxes because I hate the idea of the USPS throwning mail on the ground beyond the gate, nice and dirty and soggy when it rains. I don't want to be responsible for distributing mail, I travel for work, I don't want anybody "touching" my mail. But then he didn't rent from me. He should do like dirty hipster and get a box at the post office.
Posted by: donatella at September 30, 2009 9:01 PM
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