November 18, 2009

Bars on Fire Escape Windows

I have a question I hope someone might be able to answer. I live in a fairly large building (approx. 70 apartments) and I have an apartment that happens to have a window to the rear fire escape. Problem is: my apartment faces an alley that exits right onto a fairly busy street and my (irresponsible) neighbors always leave the gate open which allows a perfect view of my apartment window. I'm on the second floor so I'd be the easiest apartment to try to break into. I've asked my super a number of times about a gate being put on those windows but he tells me it's illegal. Any on have any input on this? It makes me want to move.

November 17, 2009

First Floor Apartment Security?

I am moving into a first floor apartment. There are bars on the windows facing the street, but not on the windows (or doors) facing the garden. The landlord told me that they cannot install bars bc they would be "liable" if we were robbed or if there was a fire and we were trapped. This sounds ridiculous to me, but I can't force them to install them. However, I do need some type of security - don't I? Does anyone have advice on installing such bars myself (and how much that would cost)? Would it be more efficient (and cheaper) to set up an alarm system?

Thanks!
(Brownstoner posters, you have been invaluable to me with all of your advice during my apartment search)

November 13, 2009

Tenant Pays Water Bill?

Hi,

I have finally found a rental apartment, but the landlord is including some unusual lease provisions in the rider. The most worrisome of these is a provision regarding the water bill. The apartment building contains 5 apartments, all two or three bedrooms, with W/D hook ups and dishwashers. The tenant must agree to assume 1/5 of the amount of any water bill exceeding $400 per quarter.

Are there any landlords of multi-family dwellings out there that have an opinion on whether the building is likely to exceed $400 per quarter in water bills? And by how much? I don't want to make a big deal of this if it isn't likely to be a problem, but we will already be paying our own heat/hot water, so I need to keep the bills under control.

Many thanks.

October 27, 2009

Tenant Rights: Band as Neighbors

Hi there Brownstoner community,

While a number of people ask about breaking a lease, I'm having a hard time finding out what my rights are under the circumstances of living next door to an apartment in which a live band practices on a daily basis.

Since moving into my apartment March 1 of this year, I have experienced ongoing and very loud noise from my neighbors. I have spoken with both the on-site property manager and superintendent about this matter and they have been very active and helpful in working with me to resolve it.

The tenants of my next-door neighboring apartment play live music on multiple instruments in their apartment, including a full drum set, bass, guitars, keyboards, and microphones. They have verbally acknowledged to me that they have a full, live band that practices in their apartment as well as uses the space as a recording studio. But unfortunately the noise and live music is not limited to regular band practices, as the neighbors seem to pick up instruments at random times throughout the day and I find myself listening to the thud of their drums and bass for several hours at a time, five days a week.

When sitting on a sofa that is near the wall I share with that apartment, I can feel vibrations from their music, and I can also often feel the wall vibrating slightly.

Since I work from home, the ongoing and daily playing of live music interferes with my ability to work effectively. Additionally and perhaps most frustrating, their music frequently drowns out anything I listen to -- whether it's my television, my own radio, or telephone calls.

I spoke to these neighbors on four separate occasions within the first month that I lived here, and respectfully asked that they lower the volume of their music or turn it off altogether, but to no avail. I explained to them that because we share a wall, the music is so loud in my apartment that I can't hear my own television or music because their music overpowers it. They responded by telling me that it is my problem, and that they have band practice and recording sessions. One of them yelled at me and let me know that I have "some nerve" asking them to turn their music down. With the exception of one resident out of the four total residents of the apartment, they have been unwilling to hear my requests or even discuss agreeing on some sort of compromise. I've asked them to simply let me know a few hours in advance when they are going to have band practice, but again, they have been unresponsive.

I have filed 10-15 noise complaints with 311 at the advice of the property manager (and have records of them) and when that didn't help, the landlord sent a legal letter to the neighbors this summer (June / July) notifying them that they're in violation of their contract.

The noise continues and I can't deal with it anymore. My lease is up at the end of February 2010, and I want to leave no later than Dec. 1, 2009. But my landlord (Alma Realty) absolutely will not let me out of my contract.

What are my rights?

Does anyone have any advice for me?

October 20, 2009

Security Deposits

If you own a 3 unit (or less) residence, what are the rules for tenants' security deposits? Do they need to be maintained in a separate account that bears interest? This is an owner-occupied residence, if that matters.

October 14, 2009

Temperature in Tenant's Apt.

I have two family house and rent the top part. I think it is colder upstairs. But I only have thermostat on the first floor. Is there a proper way to control temperature upstairs but so tenant does not have access to it?

The heating has a single water pump so I need to heat up whole house at the same time.

October 13, 2009

Negotiating Rent Reduction

My lease is up in December, and although I would like to stay in my current apartment, I will need to negotiate a rent reduction with my landlord in order to make that possible.

I live in a rental building with three units, all with almost identical floorplans. I live in the top floor unit, which is a 6 story walk up. The other two lower floor apartments were rented 1-2 months after I signed my lease, for about 12% less than what I am currently paying. At most, I do not want to pay more than the other tenants. In any case, I think that I can do better elsewhere, and although I hate to go through the hassle of moving, I will move if I can't get the rent reduced. My changed financial position during the last year, along with unexpectedly high heating and cooling bills in the apartment make this a necessity.

I was wondering if anyone has had luck recently with negotiating a rent reduction, and if so, how you approached it - did you put your request in writing, provide other apartment listings to show similar apartments, discuss your personal financial concerns, or just keep it simple? The situation is somewhat complicated by the fact that my landlord can be really nutty - he once repeatedly cursed at me and screamed "I'm not your slave" into the phone at me when I called to report that water was pouring through the ceiling and I requested his help, and then a few days later approached me on the street wanted to coo over my baby and pinch his cheeks. Needless to say, I don't want to get into another screaming match with him.

Many thanks for any advice.

October 9, 2009

Calculating Land Value for Condo

I am planning to rent out my condo and would like to calculate the amount of depreciation I can deduct every year. For that, I need to know the "land value" of the condo. How would know what the "land value" of my condo apartment is? It's not noted in the appraisal. Where can I ask what it is?

October 6, 2009

Advice on Rental Market

I have owned a brownstone in a very good location in North Park Slope right near the park for almost eight years. Until late last year all I had to do was put one ad on craigslist,I got an enormous response and had the apartment rented.

Well, no more. The market has flipped. It's incredible. I rented a couple of apartments a few months ago although it took a couple of weeks. Now it seems worse. After advertising for a week I've gotten a total of two people to look at the apt. May get a couple more this week. The rent is already about $100 below what it would have gone for last year ($1400 vs. $1500). It will be vacated at the end of this month so I'm under pressure to get it rented now.

My question is this. I'm considering lowering it by $100 from what I thought was already a relatively low rent. But I'm wondering how much of an effect that would have. There just seem to be so few people out there. Any advice besides lowering the rent?

October 2, 2009

Right of Entry

We have 6 months left in our lease and our landlord has decided to sell. He is talking about having open houses and giving the listing agent access to our unit. We have a standard condo rental agreement, so we understand that he can come at reasonable hours to show the unit. Do we have the right to ask for/expect notice prior to people arriving? Do we have to allow our apartment to be available for multiple hours on multiple weekends for open houses for the next 6 months? I could understand if we didn't resign our lease and this was going to happen for the 30 to 60 days prior to the end of our lease, but 6 months seems a bit much. The section in the lease that allowed 30 days notice for the sale of the unit was removed and agreed upon at the beginning of the lease, so we are able to stay in the unit until the end of the lease. What are our rights/expectations in this situation?

Forum: Renters