It is virtually impossible to evict, or even take action against Rent Control.

As others have mentioned, get a lawyer familiar with RC lanlord/tenant issues.

The short answer, they can do what they want, you have no recourse. The long answer is it's a long complicated process and a competent/qualified/experienced lawyer is worth every penny.

Posted by: christopher at November 20, 2009 3:13 PM in response to severe dammage by tenants

I remember the Benetton on Montague Street years ago. Gap was a block down. It was funny to see the difference in clientel between the Gap and Benetton back then. Even funnier now that they are both relative footnotes (I know Gap is still around but I don't see them as ubiquitous as they were in the late 80s early 90s)

Posted by: christopher at November 20, 2009 11:18 AM in response to Huh? Benetton for Bed Stuy Stretch of Bedford Avenue

Gotta love the internet. All my life in the Heights, piano lessons as a kid right near this cafe...
... and this is the first I've ever heard it called Willowtown (and to think the Willowtown Association has been around for over 50 years).

Posted by: christopher at November 20, 2009 11:11 AM in response to New Cafe for The Heights

Windows We Are tend to seem flaky over the phone, but I think that is because they just aren't office folks.

I had WWA install 31 windows in my building. They showed up when they said they would. busted hump to get it done in the 2 days they committed to, and they did a top notch job.

Do they respond to emails? No, not really. Are they a bit flaky on the phone? Sure. Do you have to call them a few times to confirm? Probably (they always had the dates and everything on their end, they would just forget to call me).

31 windows over 2 days and an additional few hours for custom fitted screens.

I recommend them completely. Not the best office types but one helluva window outfit. The final product is top notch.

Posted by: christopher at November 19, 2009 9:33 PM in response to Replacing Windows/Brownstone

All of my numbers are based on personal experience from renovations on either my building or one of the others my family owns.

As I mentioned, $5k is for a basic kitchen with generic cabinets and appliances and no floor/plumbing/electrical/wall work to be done. I did say a kitchen can be $50k (hell, I've seen the bills for a $250k kitchen).

I renovated my kitchen of $5k. I can be done.

I was trying to throw out low end numbers, to prove that even at the lowest end $200k goes quick. Personally I would probably budget closer to $500k for a true gut of a 4,000 sqf building.

Hell, the facade could be $100k (or more) alone and I wouldn't be surprised if it needed major work too.

Posted by: christopher at November 16, 2009 3:26 PM in response to Need help

I they give you store credit on the return and buy your second $500 item (discounted to $450) would you get $50 cash in change or the remaining $50 still in store credit?

Seems like a lot of effort for $50

Posted by: christopher at November 16, 2009 12:00 PM in response to 10% off in Lowes

One thing I forgot to mention is windows. If the building needs a but reno odds are it needs new windows. Windows are $400-1100 (depending on material - wood vs vinyl/non-landmarked vs landmarked, etc).

4,000 sqf is what, 4 floors? 6 windows a floor (3 front 3 back)? That puts you at $9,600-24,400

If I was spending the time and money to renovate all the bones I would definitely want to make sure there are new, solid windows protecting the investment.

Does this brownstone need a boiler and/or hot water heater? Those are things to consider and often if a building needs new plumbing and elec. odds are it needs a new burner and water heater too...

Posted by: christopher at November 16, 2009 11:54 AM in response to Need help

If you do it yourself it's the cost of materials and your time. You might be able to get away with doing it for $50-100k...
...$200k is still a pretty decent figure on the low end if you're hiring someone.

If you have to rewire the entire house that might also entail re-doing all the walls (drywall, sheetrock, etc depending on the existing condition) and that alone might run you $50k

A new kitchen, on the low end, is $5k, and that is for Home Depot style cabinets (which I actually like) and basic appliances. If the kitchen is a mess and you need to re-do the plumbing, floors, walls, etc you could be looking at another $50k (depending on size - I'm thinking a decent, non galley/closet).

Floors are easy, in a sense, to price out. Take the square footage # you want to replace and go to Home Depot, find the cheapest per foot price for any flooring. Do the math, and then add on accordingly for higher grade materials and the 25% or so for labor (unless you do it yourself)

Posted by: christopher at November 16, 2009 11:47 AM in response to Need help

I'm sure they are, but being very strict about he requirements.

If it's a 5+ unit building that is a "commercial" loan, even if it's all residential. The banks use a 9x the rent roll less expenses to figure out the loan amount.

If the rent roll is $140k a year with $40k expenses you'll get a $900k loan ($100k rent roll x 9). It the property is asking more than $1.5 million or so, the bank will be very curious as to how you are making up the difference.

Commercial loans (on brownstones) don't really care about the down payment and personal income and all that, they just want to know how much the building brings in and base their loan on that.

Posted by: christopher at November 13, 2009 12:47 PM in response to Commercial Loans

Those things are brilliant. I wanted to install one at my last place but the landlord wouldn't let me (damn parents ;) )

Posted by: christopher at November 12, 2009 12:08 PM in response to Sunsetter Awning Sale

Call Windows We Are. They were great all around. Highly recommended.

Posted by: christopher at November 7, 2009 12:27 PM in response to New Windows

What people always fail to realize, or choose to forget, is neighborhoods were de-gentrified before the were ever gentrified.

Take East New York. East New York was a huge working class Jewish neighborhood for a long, long time. If white people start moving to ENY will the "gentrification" word will be dropped? What about the fact that it once was a nice, safe, respectable, "white" neighborhood?

Red Hook, Fort Greene, Williamsburg, all these places were safe working class neighborhoods or primarily white; Irish, Italian, Jewish, Polish, etc, for years before they became known as "fringe" or "bad".

What if white people moving in is not "gentrification", but more of "reclamation"?

Posted by: christopher at November 3, 2009 10:47 PM in response to Closing Bell: Gentrification Indicators

If you didn't provide an out-clause in the lease (I give my tenants a 60 day notification option of they want to leave) then they are legally bound to the full term.

Tell them they either have to stay the full term, since they are bound by the lease, or at least until you find a replacement.

Their bad planning is not your fault, they are responsible for the lease.

Posted by: christopher at November 3, 2009 12:38 PM in response to Tenants Breaking Lease

I use Weiss Plumbing (on Atlantic) to service my burner, it is the kind of thing I don't want to touch myself and I think it's worth it to pay a professional (considering how costly it is if I break it...).

They are great, and definitely worth having standard/regular service set up with them.

Posted by: christopher at November 3, 2009 11:50 AM in response to Furnace 'False Starts'

The concept of "OP" meaning "Owner Pays" is a long standing practice. That is not to say it is the only way it is done, it is just an option often used in down markets (back in 2001/2002 it was used widely, mostly by the larger owners - Rockrose, etc).

It is NOT "the way it works". It is one way, an incentive. But definitely not the standard.

If they are pushing for it dump them and find someone else. The realtors I use for my place always ask if I'm willing to do it, I'm not, but they list and show regardless.

Posted by: christopher at November 3, 2009 11:45 AM in response to Landlord Paying Broker?

After 9/11 orange cones were secured to the pavement for about a half mile back from the exit. In addition, there was an NYPD car stationed right at the exit pulling people over who tried to cut in over the cones.

That is the way to do it. Make the cones permanent so you can't cut in, and station a cop there. That patrol car alone could probably generate a enough revenue to make it worthwhile...

If you don't want to deal with the line take the FDR all the way south to the end and make a u-turn to go northbound. The northbound entrance to the Brooklyn Bridge is much faster, even with the added time going south first...

Posted by: christopher at November 3, 2009 11:34 AM in response to Squadron Helps Drivers Get Off (The FDR)

Viral marketing?
I'm guessing an event of some sort:
http://www.whats21123.com/

Some guy on Staten Island registered the domain mid-Sept...

Posted by: christopher at October 26, 2009 6:04 PM in response to What IS 22123?!

I'd put it in writing, as a lease rider, that the piano must be standing on an area rug/carpet and that the times for playing are restricted to 11-3. Noise complaints after 3pm will result in $25 fines (or some such nominal consequence), etc, etc, etc....

Having a piano wouldn't necessarily tun me off from a tenant, but I would make it clear and in writing what the expectations were in regards to the noise level in the building.

Posted by: christopher at October 26, 2009 10:39 AM in response to Rent to a Pianist - Crazy?

A few basics that the realtors always get wrong:
5+ units are considered "commercial" by mortgage standards and you'll only get financed based on debt-service (basically 9x the rent roll minus expenses).

I can't tell you how many realtors told us we could get 80% financing on a 5+ unit building (we own a few and are always looking...). It's just not true. Also, 5+ family mortgages don't care about your income, they only care about the buildings income/expense sheet.

4 unit and less get financed based on conforming loan limits, on a sliding scale. 4 family conforming limit is roughly $1.4 mil I believe. 3 fam is less, etc. In addition, you only get 75% of the rental income counted (takes in to account vacancy rate) and you can use your income to supplement the building income for financing.

Realtors love to tell you "it's easy to get tenants to move". No. It's not. Look for building "delivered vacant" or owner occupied knowing you'll be moving in to the owners unit after closing. Month to month/"tenants at will" are good, but there can be feet dragging with them too (if you wish to occupy one of their units).

That's all I can think of right now. I grew up in the Heights, own and live in CG now (3rd generation landlord ;) ) and love it. If I think of anything else I'll post up.

Posted by: christopher at October 24, 2009 6:13 PM in response to Help/Advice for a Beginner

Grand Army,
I still don't believe Marvin costs that much.
My windows are all new frames and the most it cost was $900 per. All my old frames were ripped out and either new wood ones, or new vinyl ones, were installed. The old windows, frames glass and all were replaced (from between $400-900)

The only windows that I know of costing in the neighborhood of $2k are hurricane rated security glass which is basically impenetrable and required in some states (Florida for example) for insurance purposes. That stuff can withstand minutes of sledgehammer abuse.

Like I said, I still find it hard to believe standard replacement windows/frames cost $2500 per. That is ridiculous...

Posted by: christopher at October 20, 2009 9:41 PM in response to Top Energy Improvements?

nk,
What paperwork would your tenants have to do? If you are opening an account to hold security deposits the tenants should have nothing to do with it. It would defeat the purpose if they had access to it.

Posted by: christopher at October 20, 2009 9:33 PM in response to Security Deposits

$2500 per window sounds nuts, especially if they are not wood.

I just has Windows We Are install windows in my building. The most expensive as $900, the least was $500 (give or take some change here and there). I have landmark/traditional wood and vinyl/modern ones. All double paned, Low E Argon, etc

I got a quote from one of the more expensive wood window fabricators and they were only $1,100 per window.

Unless they are extremely odd sizes I think $2500 per window is at least $1k to high, if not $2k.

Posted by: christopher at October 20, 2009 12:30 PM in response to Top Energy Improvements?

I would think true "ground up" construction would be far more expensive than the alternative.

To build ground up you need to buy the land, hire architect to draw up plans, get the required permits & approvals for said plans from the city, hire contractors/construction crews and then wait for it all to happen - which will probably be at least 2xs as long as you think (permit delays, construction delays, etc).

I think it would be quicker/cheaper/smarter to find a raw live/work space that you can get cheap and then customize the interior.

Starting from scratch is never as cheap or easy as you might think...

Posted by: christopher at October 17, 2009 12:09 PM in response to To Build, or Not

Why not just leave it alone?

I've had tenants move out, cancel their service with ConEd, but the lights still work, etc.

They stop billing the tenat, but I don't think they turn off the power unless the unit is severely overdue.

I have 2 meters, 1 for my unit and 1 for the common area, no commercial rate.

If you plan on re-renting that unit tell ConEd that, they'll just close the old account and wait for a new tenant to request service.

Posted by: christopher at October 16, 2009 12:46 PM in response to ConEdison & two meter building

The NYC regulation is:

October 1 to May 31:

6 am - 10 pm - if outside temp is below 55, inside temp must be maintained at least at 68

10 pm - 6 am - if outside temp is below 40, inside temp must be maintained at least at 55

Posted by: christopher at October 16, 2009 12:38 PM in response to Temperature in Apt.

Home Depot and/or Lowes...

Posted by: christopher at October 16, 2009 9:09 AM in response to Shower Body

I used Manhattan Mortgage and I was able to get something like 1.5 points off if I was willing to pay the fee to MM. I happily paid fee which lowered my overall debt by over $250k.

As with anything it can go many ways. You pay, the bank does, one costs more, one costs less. Talk to a few brokers and see what each says and go with who you are most comfortable.

Posted by: christopher at October 16, 2009 9:07 AM in response to How Are Mortgage Brokers Paid?

Ringo,
WWA can do landmark windows. I'm not on a landmarked block so I didn't concern myself with the minutia of landmark approval. They are wood, but not on a weighted chain system. They look original but I don't know how crazy Landmarks would get if they weren't on the weight/chain (and I know you can get new weight/chain windows if you want).

Call WWA and talk to them about Landmarks, I know they do them and they were very familiar with them (the installers even asked me why I went with wood on a non-landmarked block - I like the look)

Jesse,
Go with the LowE Argon and get the screens for the wood windows. The front windows look great, but a bit naked without the screens (and if I remember the screens are like $55 a piece give or take - not a lot in the grander context of 31 windows)

Posted by: christopher at October 16, 2009 9:03 AM in response to Window We Are

I just did exactly what you are talking about (installed 2 weeks ago).

We got 2 quotes and Windows We Are was the better price by about $6k.

We did 31 windows. 11 wood in the front the rest vinyl. It took them 2 days to install and the guys were great.

Everyone on our block commented on how good they look, how fast they were installed, etc. It cost a bundle but we were extremely impressed with the quality of the product, the work of the installers, etc.

I wouldn't get to crazy on price haggling. Windows We Are will give you good windows and do a top notch install.

If you want, shoot me an email and I'll give you my address if you want to walk by and check them out...

Posted by: christopher at October 15, 2009 8:26 PM in response to Window We Are

I have a work thing on 7th Ave around the same time... if I can I'll swing by you guys for a bit.

Posted by: christopher at October 15, 2009 12:46 PM in response to PARTY TONIGHT!

First, last and security is also tough. That's $12,000 upfront in cash. Maybe only ask 1st and Security and made a clear stipulation in the lease the security can't be used for last months rent...

Posted by: christopher at October 9, 2009 10:49 PM in response to help with rental pricing?

CookieCutter,
The cause is usually tenant related. My grandmother's building had a big roach problem at one point. Exterminators came in, sprayed everywhere, all apartments, went in to the groundfloor studio to spray and found piles of trash and dirty dishes. The source of the roaches. We got the tenant to clean (and told him we'd charge him for future extermination costs if he didn't keep his unit clean) and since he cleaned up his act the building has had no problems.

Yes, the landlord is saddled with fixing the problem, but the origin/cause almost always lies with the tenant.

Posted by: christopher at October 8, 2009 6:24 PM in response to 373 92nd Street

Roaches and mice are generally tenant related, not landlord.

Posted by: christopher at October 7, 2009 2:31 PM in response to 373 92nd Street

According to the Curbed.com photo the house in question is actually 2 houses down from the Fire house
http://curbed.com/tags/280-hicks-street

Posted by: christopher at October 5, 2009 11:35 AM in response to 280 Hicks Up For Auction

It's in Williamsburg but Salerno's on Maujer St and Lorimer is great.
(718) 384-4880
451 Lorimer Street

They are down the street from where I use to work and I still go to them for everything.

Posted by: christopher at October 3, 2009 11:35 PM in response to Auto Inspection

Go from work to the potential apartment via subway/us/walking (all of which are probably required). See what it's like. Red Hook is definitely in the middle of nowhere when it comes to public transportation.

Granted, if you work in Lower Manhattan you can take the water taxi from Ikea so it might not be so bad.

Posted by: christopher at October 3, 2009 6:09 PM in response to Living in Red Hook.... Should I?

I think it's arbitrary. Do you want more space with a small rental bringing in a couple of bucks to offset your expenses or do you want more rental income and are willing to sacrifice space for it?

Personally I wouldn't want either. If I can't afford a 3-over-1 without the rental income then I can't afford it and have no business buying it. If I need the rental income from a duplex I'd rather buy a 4+ family and have the option for more rental income, combining apartments, etc...

... but that's just me...

Posted by: christopher at October 3, 2009 1:49 PM in response to Double Duplex vs 3-over-1

Question, you said "an illegal unit with no CofO"...

... is this an illegal unit (finished basement type thing) in a building with a CofO that covers the other legal apartments but not yours or is this a single unit in a condo type building where the building itself has no CofO?

Posted by: christopher at October 2, 2009 11:01 PM in response to Broker Rented Us an Illegal Unit

Depending on material, size, style, etc think between $400-$900 per window.

We just re-did all the windows in our building (31) and had 11 wood, landmark, windows in the front and the rest were capped aluminum (screens on all, double pane, low-e glass etc)

We used Windows We Are and they were great. Did the entire thing in 2 days. All demo, rubbish removal, installation, caulking, etc. The only thing they don't do is paint the interior of the wood windows, that is up to you so you can stain it, paint it, whatever.

Windows We Are is who I'd use again without hesitation.

Posted by: christopher at October 2, 2009 4:45 PM in response to Windows - Recs and Prices

Here's my opinoin ( and something I've done)...

... Forget "gift", but keep in mind the 3+ month "incubation" period that banks like (seeing the money in your name for an extended period of time, multiple statements, etc - so it's not nefarious in origin).

The easiest thing to do have your parents (or whoever is giving you the gift) to consolidate the funds in one of their accounts. Have your names added to the account. After a few months of statements with your name on the account it'll look like your money in a joint account and you can avoid a lot of other hassles...

Posted by: christopher at October 1, 2009 10:43 PM in response to Downpayment as a Gift

Considering people on this site tend to spec price 9-19% below actual sales ( http://www.brownstoner.com/brownstoner/archives/2009/10/widget_update.php#more ) I'd say ask $700-720k.

Posted by: christopher at October 1, 2009 10:36 PM in response to Price My Apartment

If another one recently sold for $80k then I'd offer $80k.

If the owner doesn't like it they'll come back with a counter. You can go from there. Maybe you don't get it for $80, but maybe you get it for less than $110.

Posted by: christopher at October 1, 2009 10:28 PM in response to Help Price PLG Studio

It could be a great deal or a major nightmare...

... if the bones are good you could easily have a mint renovated building for $1.3 all in. If the bones are a mess, then you could very well drop as much on renovations as you did on the purchase.

I've seen "gut" renovations go from walls, ceilings, floors, and finishes to a real gut meaning no roof, no floors, just open sky and basement floor, needing absolutely everything replaced. So depending on how extensive the "gut" is...

Posted by: christopher at September 29, 2009 11:32 PM in response to Cost of Run-Down vs. Reno'd

I might be able to make this gathering, but I sure as hell wont be following the Open Threads, I don't have that kind of time, and frankly I don't know how you guys do it... ;)

Posted by: christopher at September 26, 2009 6:09 PM in response to IT'S TIME TO PAR-TAY!!!

Brooklyn is pretty massive (even "brownstone Brooklyn" covers a pretty wide range of areas), do you have any more specific wants/desires/stipulations?

Aside from budget, people, & pets as the previous poster mentioned, how about any specific neighborhoods you are already aware of, mass transit needs, type of neighborhood (quiet family oriented vs young and active), etc

Posted by: christopher at September 26, 2009 5:45 PM in response to Seeking Apartment in Brooklyn

It could go either way.

In our buildings the ground/garden floor is 1, parlor is 2...

Posted by: christopher at September 19, 2009 8:01 PM in response to Floor Numbers for code violation

$1150.

If he really wants the $1200, you really want the apartment but $1100 is you number, then maybe meeting each other half way will work for all involved.

Negotiating isn't about keeping the rent the same, or getting it reduced, it's about 2 sides coming to a mutually acceptable medium.

$1150 might lock it up if it's really *the* place for you and you don't want to lose it...

Posted by: christopher at September 18, 2009 12:51 PM in response to Signing 1-Year Lease

$300 is pretty average in that area of Brooklyn.

The garage on Atlantic and Court is up to $375 for new accounts (I believe they still grandfather in the monthly rate of those who got in when it was $300/$325, etc).

The garage at 1 Brooklyn Bridge Park is $187 or something like that. Not close to you, but just offering perspective. The garage on State, just west of Hicks, is in the $350 range (as are most of the Brooklyn Heights garages).

Also, a lot of garages charge extra for SUVs....

Posted by: christopher at September 17, 2009 5:27 PM in response to Garage Parking

Water? I thought by law the landlord had to pay the water bill. You're friend pays the water bill as well? Is it a standalone unit, not part of a larger building?

Posted by: christopher at September 16, 2009 10:46 PM in response to Utilities Bill

If the basement has direct interior access to your unit then just say she's living in the rec room ;)

Posted by: christopher at September 16, 2009 6:18 PM in response to Live-in help in two family house

http://timsticle.com/images/fall09/hillbilly.jpg

Posted by: modsquad at November 20, 2009 9:42 PM in response to severe dammage by tenants

the house has the original bathrooms from the 1910 renovation turning the house to a 3 family dwelling. The bathtubs are small 4' claw foot with the original drains and fixtures. It was never meant to have a shower. They rigged it so they attached a garden hose to the spichet and a hose to the SIDE WALL. SO WHEN THEY SHOWER THERE IS NO WAY TO PREVENT THE WATER FROM HITTING THE WALL.
My question is can they be made financially accountable for the damage they created? If they had a security deposit which they don't ....
Can I take them to small claims court?

Posted by: meme at November 20, 2009 11:55 PM in response to severe dammage by tenants

So you mean the bathroom was unaltered for the last century?
Had you provided them with a real bathroom with a shower this wouldn't have happened. A simple showerhead isn't too much to ask for in the year 2009

Posted by: JohnHancock at November 21, 2009 12:11 AM in response to severe dammage by tenants

I doubt you can sue for damages.
You state:
"I asked them to put up a shower curtain they did not The water damage ran all the way down to the basement causing the repair of joist @ 14,000."
That's one hell of a lot of water! If you knew the water was causing a problem then you are responsible for mitigating damage, not just sitting there wringing your hands. You need to step up and be a landlord.
Case dismissed.

Posted by: modsquad at November 21, 2009 1:06 AM in response to severe dammage by tenants

Exactly which branch of socialism believes that tenants should be grateful to bathe from buckets? For $1,000, more or less, depending on fixtures, you could have installed fully-functioning shower fixtures. (See, for example: http://www.signaturehardware.com/product463 ) For a little more, you could have installed modern tubs. Now you're (allegedly) facing a $14,000-$24,000 repair, but still blaming your tenants. I regret that I provided a link to the "Landlord's Guide" so quickly, when it's your tenants who really need the help. Hope they're reading along; the free help desk at 140 Livingston is there for them, too.
LANDLORD'S DUTY OF REPAIR: Landlords of buildings with three or more apartments must keep the apartments and the buildings' public areas in "good repair." Landlords are required to maintain electrical, plumbing, sanitary, heating, and ventilating systems in good and safe working order. Landlords must also keep in good working order appliances they install, such as refrigerators and stoves. Landlords also have a legal duty to keep every part of a multiple dwelling clean and free of vermin, dirt, garbage or other offensive material. Tenants should bring complaints to the attention of their local housing officials. (Multiple Dwelling Law Sec. 78; 80; Multiple Residence Law Sec. 174)

Posted by: vinca at November 21, 2009 3:10 AM in response to severe dammage by tenants

presumably you knew about the shower rig in this apartment before you purchased the building from previous owners, correct? Why would you (or the previous owner for that matter) *not* install a proper shower assembly as someone previously mentioned?

Vinca, I don't know the laws but can the RC tenants rightfully refuse that upgrade? (bc that cost could be potentially be added to their rent)

By asking them to simply put a shower curtain up in my opinion sends a message that you "approved" their makeshift set up instead of correcting it properly.

"the house has the original bathrooms from the 1910 renovation turning the house to a 3 family dwelling. The bathtubs are small 4' claw foot with the original drains and fixtures. It was never meant to have a shower"

So does this mean that YOUR apartment has no shower either?

Posted by: bowl of dicks at November 21, 2009 4:05 AM in response to severe dammage by tenants

One more question, why are they refusing access to fix the heat? Come February they could be in there using space heaters or the stove and you DON'T want that to happen.

Posted by: bowl of dicks at November 21, 2009 4:31 AM in response to severe dammage by tenants

It seems like the cause of the damage is the owner's (or, possibly, the previous owner's) not installing a simple D-ring shower curtain rod to hold three curtains, one against the wall. That, plus a simple add-on "telephone'" shower attachment might have cost as much as $100. It's the cheap man who ends up spending the most money.

Posted by: Bob Marvin at November 21, 2009 8:35 AM in response to severe dammage by tenants

Despite what I said earlier, I have to agree with the later posts after we discovered the "bathroom situation." It's your fault for not having spent a little money renovating the bathroom into a decent one with a normal shower.

Penny wise & pound foolish.

Posted by: daveinbedstuy at November 21, 2009 12:12 PM in response to severe dammage by tenants

BOD: Defective equipment can be replaced at owner’s expense; replaced with used or reconditioned equipment for which there is no entitlement to increase; or replaced with new, for which owner *may* be entitled to increase, subject to a number of variables. Because rent adjustment terms are complex and often hard to sort out (for both landlord and tenant); because approved increases apply on a permanent basis; and because many landlords and tenants are invested in an adversarial relationship, many LL’s AND rent-regulated tenants resist repairs and upgrades. None of that excuses the LL’s obligation to maintain existing equipment, services and premises in good repair. Some of these issues are addressed in this DHCR fact sheet: http://www.housingnyc.com/html/resources/dhcr/dhcr26.html

Posted by: vinca at November 21, 2009 12:27 PM in response to severe dammage by tenants