letter to neighbors regarding renovations

First, you seem to have a very good building manager. There have been major renos in my building, and nobody has received a letter prior to the start of renos.
Include the type of renovation: Which room/rooms?
Give the start and expected date of completion.
E-mail a copy of the letter to the managing agent, too.
The letter should go to your upstairs, downstairs and surrounding units.
Tell them you appreciate their patience for the noise, ect.

Please check out your contractor.

Good luck.

I would add that you have instructed the contractor to (fill in the blank)... clean up the hallway, be out by 5pm daily, not smoke in public spaces, keep the music down during the day, whatever and to please alert you if any neighbors notice these instructions are not being adhered to. Our last contractor regulalry pushed his guys to work past 5 which became an issue in our coop - but we don't get home at 5 pm every day and hence, didn't know this until our neighbors complained to managament. It was fine - they had every right to do so, but if they had told us as soon as they noticed it, we could have resolved the problem much quicker.

Depending on the thickness of the walls in your building, the music playing can often be a big problem. Because of the equipment that they use, they often turn up the music very loud and I know that my neighbors with young children at home often complain about hearing music through the walls when the handymen in my rental building are preparing an apartment for a new tenant.

Add a line... While we are sorry for the interim disruption that this may cause you, we are looking forward to being a part of the building and having you as neighbors in our new home.

I'm going to strongly advise you to do the opposite: do not write a letter to anyone. Bad idea. You will be inviting problems--not averting them. I was going to do the exact same thing--letter to my floor and apts over and under my during my 4 months gut reno. My architect nicely told me I was nuts. She said I could nicely introduce myself to neighbors as I met them and thank them for their patience, etc, but to leave letters would invite the crazies. All it would take would be one nut suddently saying "Hey! Wait! I work at home! What hours are you doing this? On the biggest holiday of my culture will you be working?" Etc. And then the counter letters to the board begin. And now you've invited a problem.

Don't do the letter. Maintain a tight reign on the tidiness of your job and consideration of your workers and you'll keep the neighbors happy. Amply grease the super ahead of time--that buys LOTS of good will. Tell him you know a reno is an inconvenience and you apologize ahead of time and want to thank him for any added work you cause him and that you want him to call you the instant he detects the slightest problem. Your neighbors will be fine. Don't do the letter. There is nothing to gain.

"Amply grease the super": unpleasant image if ever there was one.

""Amply grease the super": unpleasant image if ever there was one."

Especially since come December, it's the other way around.

We did a letter to our immediate (above and to the side, but not the whole floor) neighbors that said, hi, we just bought in the co-op and we're thrilled to be a part of it. Wanted to let you know that for the next XX weeks our contractor Roger and his crew will do board-approved painting and renovation, and we don't expect it to kick up too much dust or noise but if it does please call us on our cells at XXX-XXXX.

I do often work at home, and I lived across from neighbors who combined several apartments and I would truly have appreciated such a letter.

ali r.

very good advice kylewest. when i did my reno, the building management put up a simple flyer in the lobby saying apt so and so is renovating and thanks for your patience. i didn't have any complaints and i think that effort was more than enough, no need for personal letters, you may be opening up the floodgates. if you are concerned about p*ssing off the neighbors, wait until the renovation is TOTALLY FINISHED and then bring over some homemade cookies to let them know you are all done and thank them for bearing with the noise.

Any type of letter advising, and thanking them for their patience will be appreciated.
Shows you are considerate- just the basicis, we are renovating, approximated time frame, you are managing it ect.
The managing agent might even have a sample!

I totally understand and respect the impulse to write the letter and think that most of the time it would be the most courteous thing to do, but a little voice in the back of my mind also thought of kylewest's point. Sadly enough, there's always that 5% of people who do not follow the honor system and writing a letter to them will just provide them with "evidence" to start making trouble. If everyone were decent the letter sounds like the best possible thing to do. It may still be. But from unfortunate experience that 5% is always in the back of my mind.

If New Yorkers (and especially coop owners) weren't the way they are, the way to go would be to invite them over for drinks in your empty pre-renovation apartment, and have them know you as a person first. To the extent they might get excited with you about your plans, they might also be more forgiving about what it takes to get them implemented. And the promise of a post-renov cocktail party might help. But New Yorkers (and especially coop owners) are more the way they are now than they've ever been before.

Alan is correct. I gave my surrounding neighbors very expensive bottles of wine. No prompt from the managing agent. However, if the M.A. brought it up -- by not doing so -- you may be subject to complaints. By the Board.

Write a nice letter. It will give your neighbors a chance to plan to be out of town, while you renovate. Nothing worse than being home at 9AM and hearing the walls/floors etc. being torn up.