No Cooking Gas in Building
I’ve been having some issues with my building this past week. Basically National Grid turned off the hot water boiler in response to a gas leak- which was a mistake because what was leaking was our personal cooking gas line. The cooking gas line was shut off. We are big cookers in my place, so…
I’ve been having some issues with my building this past week. Basically National Grid turned off the hot water boiler in response to a gas leak- which was a mistake because what was leaking was our personal cooking gas line. The cooking gas line was shut off.
We are big cookers in my place, so the idea of not being able to cook is stressing me out. Is it reasonable to keep track of my expenses every time I eat out and subtract it from my rent until the cooking gas is fixed? My landlord is infamous for taking his time fixing these types of issues.
Below is a link to my previous posting when the building had no hot water.
http://bstoner.wpengine.com/forum/archives/2010/05/no_hot_water_in.php
Not really a question of simply fixing the leak. If the system has been “tagged” then a complete pressure test must be performed. I think the entire system has to be at 25 psi? (Not sure)for 24 hours. That’s when all the little leaks open up plus the Dresser coupling. What a nightmare.
Mechanics don’t fix gas leaks, by the way.
This is completely ridiculous. Should not “take a few weeks.” Will take one day, if it can be done at all. Landlord needs to call licensed plumbers with lots of black gas pipe experience. Of course, they may be busy. They may have a very difficult time finding the leak in the wall, they may have to run a new pipe. That’s going to cost a pretty penny.
Agree with Silvermax re interim solutions.
I’ve been without a true kitchen for almost 6 weeks now. I have a fridge, running water in the bathroom, an electric kettle, a double hotplate, and a toaster oven. This has enabled me to cook basic meat-and-two-veg meals without difficulty. My electric bill is running about $20 higher, but it’s a LOT cheaper than eating out or ordering in all the time. (Less salt too)
That said, your LL is obligated to take care of the leaky gas riser — and it will be a mess because the old riser will have to be removed and a new riser will have to be run from the basement to your apartment, which means opening walls. The sooner the LL gets his/her plumber on it, the better.
And speaking as a LL, I think you should get some compensation. The leaky riser is his problem, not yours. Whether the compensation takes the form of paying for a hotplate and toaster oven and any overage on your electric bill or just a simple rent reduction, part of the contract between LL and tenant is access to basic utilities: gas, electric, water, hot water.
Apparently the gas pipe within the wall is leaking- the plumbers didn’t find a leak by my stove nor a leak by the boiler. They said that they will have to tear down the wall to fix it or run a new pipe somehow… The plot thickens.
Do you know what the specific leak problem is??? Call Master Plumber, have them fix it and deduct it from your rent if theLL is saying it will take “a few weeks” which it should not.
The LL is being a jackass.
I am not trying to profit out of getting a rent cut. And this would only be an option if I have no cooking gas for over a week- my neighbor had no cooking gas for 1 month! Like I mentioned, I cook every day all meals, so I would just prefer the problem to be fixed asap- but if it’s not cooked asap, I would like to cover the costs for me having to dine out.
And about the request for the keys, the hot water boiler is in the basement, which is why I and the other tenants were surprised that the plumber was so determined to have access to our individual apartments.
Vinca, the way I read the DHCR fact sheet, the most a RS tenant is entitled to as compensation is the amount of the last increase. The last Rent Guidelines Board increase was 3% or 6% depending on lenth. The most this person could have been paying was about $1940. 3% of that is $60.
Most of you seem to think this person is entitled to more than that, but nothing in the law supports that position. And advising someone to do so will come back to bite them in the ass later.
Also to those who were bitchin about the landlord’s request for keys to the apt. How the hell is he supposed to fix the tenants problem if he doesn’t have access to the problem?
CSA: LL’s can write, but cannot enforce, lease provisions that violate local law, as your own lease makes clear. Are you familiar with those laws?
NYC Housing Maintenance Code: http://bit.ly/ce3nL2
NYC DHCR Fact Sheet, Decreased Services: http://bit.ly/cbN5BL
NYC RGB, Quality of Life FAQ: http://bit.ly/9XwQyj