ok, so i've lived in this building since it opened (528 e 6th). The landlord used to be very attentive to my needs. (ie if something broke, he fixed it). The past 2 months things have just been getting worse. First i live on the second floor, and everytime it rains now there is a river flowing down the middle of my apt. about 5 feet away from my light fixture, right in the middle of the room. (the... [more]
ok, so i've lived in this building since it opened (528 e 6th). The landlord used to be very attentive to my needs. (ie if something broke, he fixed it).
The past 2 months things have just been getting worse. First i live on the second floor, and everytime it rains now there is a river flowing down the middle of my apt. about 5 feet away from my light fixture, right in the middle of the room. (the building is 6 stories high). I've asked to get this fixed, but there has been little action. Everytime it rains, it creates a river flowing through the center of my apt, it destroyed my computer the first time, second it ruined some books, now i have to be sure to keep nothing in the center of my apt.
Second, the heating unit in my unit is no longer functioning in the living room (luckly the bedroom still works), but i have been asking for this to be fixed for over 2 weeks and still no resolution.
What can i do? My lease is up at the end of january, and i've said i want to move out (really a shame cause i do love my apt usually- has an outdoor garden and a neighborhood i like). Not to mention the landlord refuses to give any discount to the rent with a renewal after most of the market is significantly off.
Only thought is to stop paying rent for the last month until things are fixed, but i'm sure that opens up significant other issues. What other leverage do i have?
as always, your ideas are appreciated.
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Response by modern
about 16 years ago
Posts: 887
Member since: Sep 2007
This is NYC, paying rent is optional.
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Response by lobster
about 16 years ago
Posts: 1147
Member since: May 2009
I'm assuming that your landlord is the managing agent for your building and that your landlord is also the building super. Otherwise, why ask the landlord directly to fix the ceiling(?) and the heating unit instead of the super? You have a difficult situation in that you are leaving soon, but it certainly sounds as though your apartment is in disrepair. You can contact the NYC Buildings Department by calling 311 and registering a complaint against your landlord. I would also suggest that before you decide to withhold any rent that you make an appointment for a consultation with a RE attorney. Several years ago, I lived in a rental building where the managing agent did a terrible job maintaining the building. I decided to ask the building's attorney if I could released from my lease two months before its expiration and he agreed.
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Response by anon528
about 16 years ago
Posts: 17
Member since: Sep 2006
well, my landlord/super just emailed to say that the heater is fixed. 1/2 aint bad, and with the temps where they are right now, i don't think rain is in the forcast. snow however, yes.
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Response by jimmyd
over 15 years ago
Posts: 1
Member since: Jul 2010
I lived in this building for one year and it was the worst! Beyond a joke, too many problems to list - I also had a flood on several occasions like the commenter above, these problems wouldn't have been so bad if the building had been well run and they had attempted to fix them quickly, but they didn't and things just got worse and worse. There was a large hole ( 2 feet long) in the bedroom floor after they had to pull up some bad flooring. They didn't put new floor boards in for two months!
The AC didn't work, then it cooled the air and flooded the floor, then it was insanely loud and could only be switched on and off with a huge leaver under the stairs which took all my strength to switch.
They marketed this place as "Luxury comes to the east village" what a joke. I could go on and on. It was just a terrible building to live in. The owner was always overseas and seemed to have serious communication problems with the super (as did I).
The worst part was when I moved out they wouldn't give me my deposit back. I complained repeatedly then 4 months after moving out I got half of it back with no explanation. The owner wouldn't answer his phone and the super claimed he wasn't working there anymore. Eventually I had to write to the attorney general's office about my problem and some weeks after that the rest of my deposit arrived in the mail (minus about $50, plus the interest for the year which I was told I would receive was missing also).
I can't tell people not to move to this building as that could be deemed libelous but I will say I curse the day I signed the lease!!
This is NYC, paying rent is optional.
I'm assuming that your landlord is the managing agent for your building and that your landlord is also the building super. Otherwise, why ask the landlord directly to fix the ceiling(?) and the heating unit instead of the super? You have a difficult situation in that you are leaving soon, but it certainly sounds as though your apartment is in disrepair. You can contact the NYC Buildings Department by calling 311 and registering a complaint against your landlord. I would also suggest that before you decide to withhold any rent that you make an appointment for a consultation with a RE attorney. Several years ago, I lived in a rental building where the managing agent did a terrible job maintaining the building. I decided to ask the building's attorney if I could released from my lease two months before its expiration and he agreed.
well, my landlord/super just emailed to say that the heater is fixed. 1/2 aint bad, and with the temps where they are right now, i don't think rain is in the forcast. snow however, yes.
I lived in this building for one year and it was the worst! Beyond a joke, too many problems to list - I also had a flood on several occasions like the commenter above, these problems wouldn't have been so bad if the building had been well run and they had attempted to fix them quickly, but they didn't and things just got worse and worse. There was a large hole ( 2 feet long) in the bedroom floor after they had to pull up some bad flooring. They didn't put new floor boards in for two months!
The AC didn't work, then it cooled the air and flooded the floor, then it was insanely loud and could only be switched on and off with a huge leaver under the stairs which took all my strength to switch.
They marketed this place as "Luxury comes to the east village" what a joke. I could go on and on. It was just a terrible building to live in. The owner was always overseas and seemed to have serious communication problems with the super (as did I).
The worst part was when I moved out they wouldn't give me my deposit back. I complained repeatedly then 4 months after moving out I got half of it back with no explanation. The owner wouldn't answer his phone and the super claimed he wasn't working there anymore. Eventually I had to write to the attorney general's office about my problem and some weeks after that the rest of my deposit arrived in the mail (minus about $50, plus the interest for the year which I was told I would receive was missing also).
I can't tell people not to move to this building as that could be deemed libelous but I will say I curse the day I signed the lease!!