Tenants Driving Me Crazy
Okay, I admit this is venting, but here goes: I inherited tenants when I bought my building. They have a while to go on their lease and a very low rent. Man, do they complain! I keep the heat at a reasonable temperature at night (65 degrees or so), start it very early (5am) and…
Okay, I admit this is venting, but here goes: I inherited tenants when I bought my building. They have a while to go on their lease and a very low rent.
Man, do they complain! I keep the heat at a reasonable temperature at night (65 degrees or so), start it very early (5am) and switch to night late (midnight). I get a screaming call from the tenant, who tells me he isn’t going to take it any more because it is freezing in his apartment. He plans to put a heater in the apartment, which is against the lease.
The wife complains about how cheap everything is (admittedly not high-end, but not bad and they pay next to nothing), how much noise the tenants above them make (they exercise in the afternoon, during her nap in the living room, where she sleeps instead of the bedroom) and curses at me, if she even bothers to say hello. They have changed the lock and not given me a key. The police have shown up twice due to fights with their teenaged daughter and the have screamed at me and the third-floor tenants for calling the police (we didn’t call the police; the teenaged daughter did). And the scream and scream and scream at each other!
Oy vey! What a handful. Any advice about how to smooth things over for the duration of their lease?
Well maybe if landlords kept the apartments at a reasonable temperature we tenants would not have to buy heaters. You cannot and will not freeze us out.
You will notchange my locks. If I even think that you did so I just might change yours, or you will have a seriously problem. The law states that a landlord cannot enter a tenants apartment unless there is an emergency (not fabricated ones) and with permission from the tenant.
You are greedy, heartless people who will eventually get your come uppance. While many tenants struggle with the choice to either pay rent or eat you drain our funds.
If I do not have a warm apartment in the colder months I sure as heck will 1. buy a heater or 2. use the oven to heat my apartment. Seeing how I have lived here long before you bought the building do you really think that you will subject me to your strange behavior?
Your kind will NEVER win.
>>>>>That’s easy for you to say. I not only support these people since their rents don’t come close to covering my costs, but I have to talk to them and see them regularly as well.<<<<<
You poor thing. You mean that you actually must look at and talk to people of color?
You are a sick, greedy and citter individual.
god luck..sorry to be a putz earlier, but do you really think that the renters will just pack up at the end of their lease?…these characters sound like trouble.. get a landlord tenant lawyer now…i personally have the best tenants in the world, except that they like it way too warm, but i can live w/ that
Was agreeing with you re keys, vinca.
I found out about double cylinder locks with my first NYC apartment. it was on the ground floor and was actually allowed because in case of fire I could easily get out the front window which was 505 above grade. I’ve been told the same thing by firefighters but no on recommends them in any case because someone will always lose the key at the wrong time.
Bxgrl: By NYC law, the tenant is required to provide the landlord a copy of the key *on request* for a lock they install. Double-cylinder locks are illegal on tenant apartment doors. I have never seen anything regarding legality of double-cylinders in other parts of a building, but I would not think it wise, nor would I want to be responsible for a lock that prevented a tenant from exiting a building or reaching safety in ANY emergency (not only fire).
Wintaki: If you live in a rent-stabilized apartment the rate of rent increases for apartments where heat is neither provided nor required to be provided by the owner differs from apartments where heat is provided. If not living in a regulated apartment, and if terms of your tenancy are that you have your own thermostat and are responsible for paying for your own heat, then those are the terms you agreed to.
It’s more than possible to have fantastic landlord-tenant relations. When that does not exist, the LANDLORD needs to be sure that they do not personalize the conflict. Bessie’s last line summarizes it well: “You do need to follow MDL to the letter but do it in an arms length way. Firm and over-kind.”
Go with firm over-kindness. The poster above was so right about using conciliatory remarks about the tenant seeming unhappy and you allowing them out of the lease with no penalty.
I had an awful renter years ago. She drove a very nice tenant of many years out of the building with her screaming and stomping at all hours. We talked with her about life being too short to be unhappy. We said that although she had many months on her lease, if she wanted she could move now and we’d give her back her security deposit on the very day she was moving. And it worked!
This tenant of yours may be paying an absurdly low rent so it may not be so easy with them.
You do need to follow MDL to the letter but do it in an arms length way. Firm and over-kind.
I think 65 degrees at night is more than reasonable (we set our thermostat to 62 from 11pm – 6am).
wintaki- does your apartment have its own heating unit? then you’re the one paying it. that’s unusual though- it’s a newish renovation I take it?
second vinca on not touching the locks. But you do have the right to keys. double cylinder locks are only allowed on ground floors as long as there is another exit in case of fire.
Question about the heating law… I live in a rental, and have my own thermostat and pay my own gas bill.
Just curious, how does the law work in that case? If you have your own thermostat, then the landlord does not have to provide any heat? Just curious, thanks.