Landlord Problem
My girlfriend and I have been renting a 2BR in Prospect Heights for the past 18 months at 1,800/mo. When we moved in we paid first month’s, last month’s, security (1,800) and a brokers fee (1,800) to the super/landlord, (even though our friend who lived in the building found us the place.) Now I have…
My girlfriend and I have been renting a 2BR in Prospect Heights for the past 18 months at 1,800/mo. When we moved in we paid first month’s, last month’s, security (1,800) and a brokers fee (1,800) to the super/landlord, (even though our friend who lived in the building found us the place.)
Now I have to move for a job in another city but my girlfriend is staying and searching for a roommate. Our super/landlord tells us he will have to collect an $800 broker’s fee (half the rent) from the new tenant upon their moving in.
We asked for him to put this in writing and he refused. There is nothing in our lease about adding new names to the lease or the fees they have to pay in order to move in.
The real estate company to whom we send our rent checks each month, and who owns the building, is not at all involved in the day-to-day operations here.
Is our super/landlord’s request for a fresh broker’s fee totally bogus? Any ideas or tips on how we can fight it?
Thanks much!
This seems incredibly wrong. I would tell him that it’s not going to get paid. If he refuses to put it in writing, he has no way of going after you. I would just not pay it and see what happens. He’ll probably call a few times then give up, because other than harassing you for a bit there’s nothing that he can do.
dont let him get away with this. as mentioned earlier, he ripped you off the first time.
he ripped you off the first time so f course he is gonna try to rip you again. stop getting ripped off man!
We’re both on the lease.
Thanks for the responses everyone. Not sure if the apt is rent-stabilized, would that make a difference? I also don’t think the super is a broker as the line for “broker” on our lease is blank and he’s obviously not third-party.
Whose name is on the lease? I’m not sure but it may make a difference.
Is he even really a broker?
Check the NYC tenant law regulations concerning roommates. Here’s the link:
http://www.housingnyc.com/html/resources/faq/roommates.html
In short, you may have a roommate!
I saw nothing on “broker’s fees” but my feeling is that you do not even need to put the person’s name on the lease if you don’t want to. If you do, it seems as though it becomes a “vacancy” lease, and that might be his loophole. If he insists, pass it along.
Whoops – the landlord/super is actually charging a $900 fee (half the rent).
I say bogus. Any tenant is allowed to have a roommate.