A new law in New York State has changed the rules for landlords, preventing them from simply kicking tenants out of their apartments. Instead, landlords of unregulated apartments must now give thirty days’ notice if they intend to not renew a lease agreement, thus allowing tenants the opportunity to find new lodgings. It also forces them to give thirty days’ notice if they intend to increase the rent by five percent or more. Continue reading “Landlords Need to Give Notice Before Giving the Boot”
Tag: landlord
The Warranty of Habitability
When you sign a lease to rent an apartment, there are a few basic expectations you probably have about your new residence. One is that you will actually be able to live in the space you’ve rented. While this might seem like a reasonable request, there are many landlords who do not hold up that end of the bargain. Fortunately, the law protects your right to livable conditions, with what is known as the warranty of habitability. Continue reading “The Warranty of Habitability”
Bronx Landlord Accused of Race Discrimination
A Bronx landlord is accused of discriminating against prospective black tenants, telling them there are no vacancies available moments after telling white applicants that the building has open apartments. According to the lawsuit, secret recordings were made by undercover testers that allegedly revealed blatant discrimination by the landlord via hidden microphones.
The Fair Housing Justice filed the federal lawsuit against J.J.A. Holding Corp., a company accused of lying to prospective black tenants who were inquiring about two buildings in the Woodlawn section of the Bronx. In both cases, audio recordings catch rental agent Ray Brij-Raj telling the black candidates that there were no vacancies in the buildings right after he told white candidates there were, the suit alleges. Continue reading “Bronx Landlord Accused of Race Discrimination”
Discrimination Against Tenants in Brooklyn
Tenants in Brooklyn, New York are claiming their landlord is discriminating against them and trying to force them out of their rent-controlled apartment. African American tenants of Homewood Gardens Estates in the Prospect Lefferts Garden neighborhood have filed a federal lawsuit against the complex and owner Yeshaya Wasserman. They allege the landlord failed to make repairs and seldom cashed rent checks in a scheme to evict them from their rent-controlled apartments. Residents claim white and Asian tenants don’t face the same treatment
“He fails routinely to cash rent checks and then turns around and sues plaintiffs for allegedly not paying their rent,” attorney for the residents, Pavita Krishnaswamy said. One woman who’s lived at the apartment complex for over 14 years said she’s gone without hot water for over a week and the landlord barely ever responded to her countless repair requests over the years. Continue reading “Discrimination Against Tenants in Brooklyn”
Landlord Accused of Denying Tenants’ Plans to Build a Gay Bar
The owner of an establishment named Lulu’s in Brooklyn New York is worried about going out-of-business after his Long Island based landlord denied his attempts to convert his business into a gay bar earlier this April.
Tenant John McGillion, had hoped to revitalize his pub and take advantage of the growing gay and lesbian population in the Greenpoint area. However, a clause in his lease agreement stated “The leased Premises shall be used by Tenant as a restaurant and bar. It shall not be used for adult entertainment and shall not be operated as a gay or lesbian bar and/or restaurant.”
As a result of the clause, McGillion maintains that he is unable to make ends meet and argued in his filing documents that he is “barely scraping by on the proceeds of the bar,” all as a direct consequence of the unfair lease clause. He added: “If I am permitted to operate a gay bar at the premises I believe that I will be able to make a considerable profit.” Continue reading “Landlord Accused of Denying Tenants’ Plans to Build a Gay Bar”
Bronx Residents Claim Landlord Is Ignoring Tenant Safety
Bronx residents and local officials are urging a Jerome Park landlord to update security after a string of burglaries at the Bronx apartment building. Tenants of the building claim they have been robbed blind over the past two years, and some are even convinced that it may be an inside job.
Despite reporting the thefts to the 52nd Precinct and landlord (American Rental Masters), tenants at the 49-unit building say nothing has been done. They claim that the thefts have been a tenant safety issue for over 2 years!
Continue reading “Bronx Residents Claim Landlord Is Ignoring Tenant Safety”
New York City Tenant Sues Landlord for Negligence
Almost everyone has heard of a story about someone walking into their apartment and realizing they’ve been robbed. But have you ever heard of a story where they stole the bed, the curtains and everything in between? Well that’s what Upper East Side resident, Nilay Shroff, is claiming he experienced in October 2013, when he found his apartment stripped of almost everything in an apparent “mistaken robbery.”
Mr. Shroff, a 27-year-old software maker alleged that late one night in October 2013, he entered his Yorkville apartment to find the shock of a life time; almost everything was gone. Once police arrived, Shroff and the officers became suspicious of the incident since the apartment burglary did not fit the details of a usual occurrence in multiple ways. Continue reading “New York City Tenant Sues Landlord for Negligence”
New Bill Targets Landlord Mistreatment of Senior Citizens
It is estimated that over 45 percent of New York’s senior citizens have been in their homes for decades. Most of these seniors are housed in rent-regulated apartments and recently, it has come to light that many landlords have engaged in unfair and cruel practices in an attempt to get rid of long-term tenants and make more money. The claims of such mistreatment of senior citizens began to multiply in 2013 and as a result a bill has been introduced in the New York City Council that will increase penalties of such behavior and hopefully send a message to the landlords of New York City.
The bill, which was introduced early in 2014, sets to double the maximum civil penalty to $10,000 for property owners who abuse seniors. The legislation would also place such property owners on a black list maintained by the city Department of Housing Preservation and Development. Continue reading “New Bill Targets Landlord Mistreatment of Senior Citizens”
New Changes to Rent Stabilization Law in New York
January of this year, Gov. Andrew Cuomo signed into law numerous amendments to the system of rent stabilization in New York State. Both landlord and tenants agree that the new amendments strongly help tenants’ rights, while limiting those of landlords.
Currently, laws impose a four-year limitation on checking rent history, but now regulators will be able to look back more than four years to determine whether there was ‘a fraudulent scheme’ to destabilize the apartment. Tenants can also go directly to the state to request rent reductions because of service complaints, whereas before they were required to first inform the landlord.
Additionally, the state will begin to enforce and keep tabs on whether or not a building has any housing violations, and they will reject a landlord’s request to increase rent if any violations exist. Previously, they state would only look up violations if someone filed a complaint. Landlords will also be required to make “extensive new disclosures” when they increase rents, so there will be more oversight from the state. Continue reading “New Changes to Rent Stabilization Law in New York”
