Grand Avenue Building Gets Shamed
Six-inch rats. Los cucarachas. European backpackers. These are just a few of the problems reportedly plaguing the four-unit rental building at 71 Grand Avenue in Clinton Hill, according to a report from NY1. Others include leaky ceilings, broken toilets and mold. The current building manager, Sam Weinberger, says he just took over recently (though ownership…
Six-inch rats. Los cucarachas. European backpackers. These are just a few of the problems reportedly plaguing the four-unit rental building at 71 Grand Avenue in Clinton Hill, according to a report from NY1. Others include leaky ceilings, broken toilets and mold. The current building manager, Sam Weinberger, says he just took over recently (though ownership hasn’t changed) and that the problems are all due to former managers. “Repairs 100 percent, I’m going to do it,” Weinberger said. “Til when? Give me some time.” The Pratt Area Community Council has taken up the tenants’ cause, believing that the problems at the building are part of a plan to clear the building so it can be redeveloped. After all, there are several new buildings on the block, though most of them have yet to be filled.
Tenants In Brooklyn Protest Living Conditions [NY1]
Six-inch rats? Shit, in this town, that’s basically a mouse.
Refusing to rent a vacant RS apartment is warehousing and is illegal. Not that it doesn’t go on, but if you know of any such situations, they should be reported to the city. Once the apartment is vacant, even after renovations, its rent remains regulated, with the new rent based on a calculation of previous rent + vacancy allowance + hardship allowance (previous tenants >5 yrs. in apt.) + MCI (1/40th of renovation costs spent).
Of course the goal is to get this number above $2000, when the apartment goes off of rent stabilization.
A vacated rent controlled apartment immediately goes off rent control and a new, market-stabilized rent is set, as the apartment enters rent stabilization. It is usually well above the RC amount to start, plus MCI.
And it really must be nice to think that anyone who wants to work hard can make lots of money. Unfortunately, it simply isn’t true. Some of the hardest-working people I know are stuck in low-paying jobs due to a lack of education – if all you have is a high school diploma, it isn’t going to be easy to make a (legal) six-figure income, no matter how hard you work. Yet who else would we have sell us our hamburgers, pick up our trash, clean our offices, etc.? And if these people are commuting via LIRR or NJT or by car from wherever, the cost-benefit ratio simply won’t be there even for them – in short, they won’t be able to live off their salaries, no matter how low their rents are, because it’s being eaten up on commuting costs. And BTW, rents in the ‘burbs aren’t that cheap either, last I checked.
To the usual rent control apologists:
On $50k, you certainly can’t live here. Not because you can’t afford it (in reality, the LL would probably be thrilled to get 1/3rd of your income), but because he won’t rent it to you.
Why not? Because with short-term tenants, he can maintain control of the apartment, schedule it for renovations every few years, etc., and because the loss of control over the building destroys the building’s value due to the anticipation of future lawsuits.
More generally, can you find an even remotely affordable R/S apartment? NO — because landlords reasonably refuse to rent them.
As for ‘protecting eccentrics’ — this is just another way of saying ‘subsidizing people who don’t want to work hard or live in another neighborhood’
Finally, all of NYC will not become a yuppie haven if rent controls end. There aren’t enough of them, and they already have apartments. More likely, we’ll see granny lose the 3BR that she’s had for 50 years and a middle class family take it over.
With most landlords requiring tenants (even for RS buildings) to make 40x 1 month’s rent, you’ll be getting a studio in PS at best. I just rented a big 2 BR RS apartment in a clean, well-maintained building near me (PLG) for $1400/mo. to a great young couple, both working and expecting their first child. Very happy to welcome such fine people to the neighborhood! PS – they found it on the Brownstoner marketplace!
Las, not los cucarachas.
It is ashame that people have to live in those conditions. Six inch rats staring at him in the middle of the night? I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t stay there.Hope this lights a fire under the owner’s tail although from the manager’s mouth there are too many excuses already.Who cares who created the problems get on the job and rectify them.
quote:
Where are you going to live on $50K/yr. before taxes,
LMFAO… park slope?
*rob*
There was another Midtown theatre that was on the news last night and had to be fumigated.
I’m pretty sure that most people who buy RC/RS buildings know what they are getting into and the places are priced accordingly. THAT SAID, in bubble yimes, even professionals get carried away….a la Stuyvesant Town. Look how that turned out!!!
Individuals who are not educated on all the issues should just steer clear of these buildings. Personally, I’d never touch one no matter how enticing it looked!!!!