Mailbox Issue
I have a three family brownstone, I live in the bottom apartment and rent out the top two. The mail for all three units is dropped in my downstairs gate by the mailman and I put the mail for the two tenants out in the secure hallway in unlocked boxes. My new tenant has an…
I have a three family brownstone, I live in the bottom apartment and rent out the top two. The mail for all three units is dropped in my downstairs gate by the mailman and I put the mail for the two tenants out in the secure hallway in unlocked boxes. My new tenant has an issue with not having his own locked mailbox and with me touching his mail. Am I legally obligated to install and give him his own locked mailbox? I think there are maybe two 3-family buildings on my block with those ugly silver units with separate locks, everyone else does it the way we do. Anyone?
zeebee, the regulations cited above state that the staus quo is acceptable.
As far as responding to a tenant blaming you for unreceived mail, walk away and slam the door.
This tenant will try and walk all over you if you give in on these issues.
“Give it up, henry.”
OK
To the OP, it sounds like it’s easier to install separate boxes for each apartment/tenant than it is to fight the issue with Problem Tenant, especially given the regulations cited above. Now that Problem Tenant has put you on notice about the mail delivery, I’d be leery that s/he will blame you if any mail goes astray. You don’t want to be dealing with “I never got that book from my sister and she mailed it two weeks ago and I blame YOU” all the time.
I have this mail setup with my landlord and am not so comfortable with it. So, I have a PO Box. It’s nice to know I don’t have to change my address every time I move. I do think it’s better not to have your LL sifting through your mail.
In terms of fruitflies: The tenant just has a funky apartment. They should to stop throwing food into the garbage without wrapping it up. They need to clean.
I agree Dave, lousy USPS service is the same reason why I, too, get important mail delivered to work and not to home. Ditto for mailing from the fantastic post offices near work, and not the pathetic Park Slope stations near home. That wasn’t true about PS years ago, but it’s unfortunately true now. As a LL, I can’t and don’t try to regulate a tenant’s preferences. Once someone’s signed a lease, I mostly have a live and let live policy. I find that easier to do through careful vetting before a lease is signed and the move is made. I prefer to spend time and energy on issues where the outcome is meaningful…can’t even imagine turning mail delivery into a contest between LL and tenant, especially when a simple, amicable and enduring solution costs $150 max. Also agree with THL re: privacy. Happy to provide individual locked boxes at home address, and tenant who needs anything more can rent a PO box.
Give it up, henry.
“You as a residing legal three owner are not obligated to provide locking boxes as noted above, however, to make your life easier, investing in an Academy Corporation triple mail box unit with locks is not the worst idea in the world. Although legal, private owners distibuting mail is a little archaic these days…Good Luck”
Hey ! Maybe I gave in too soon! Someone seems to be giving credence to my original argument…
Many of the parcel/packing stores do convenient mail acceptance too. The one on 5th near Lincoln Pl. will take parcels even if you don’t keep a box there permanently. You just put their mailing address & they charge a small fee. I think they phone when it comes in too.
I lived in a 3 family as a tenant and the landlord or whoever was home during the day when the mail got dropped through the mail slot sorted the mail and left it by the appropriate apt. door. No biggie, until…
I started having serious medical issues and would get 5-6 claims, bills, evidence of benefits from the insurance company coming in the mail. I heard through the window LL telling the neighbor that I must be really sick, no they didn’t know what I had, etc.
I got a box at a mailboxes etc. (I think it’s called something else now). Had all my medical stuff sent there.
I didn’t blame the landlord for being curious, that’s human nature. I just didn’t like that he was gossiping about it with the neighbors. If this tenant has similar concerns they should get a private box.
also…
“We should also have private booths in grocery stores, so when I buy Spam I don’t have to get disapproving looks.”
IJ- That literally made me laugh out loud!