Building at 525 Union Avenue – Caveat Emptor!

I want to start by saying I love the area a lot, and I merely /like/ the building. The elevators work well, and the amenities are nice (washer/dryer in the apartment, balcony, gym). I would expect a cleaner, nicer lobby and consistently working gym equipment for what I paid ($3650), but I would overlook those things since I liked the area a lot. It's quiet but has great access to the rest of... [more]

I want to start by saying I love the area a lot, and I merely /like/ the building. The elevators work well, and the amenities are nice (washer/dryer in the apartment, balcony, gym). I would expect a cleaner, nicer lobby and consistently working gym equipment for what I paid ($3650), but I would overlook those things since I liked the area a lot. It's quiet but has great access to the rest of Williamsburg and the subway, and the roof/view is spectacular. All of the problems that aren't hipster-neighbor-related come from dealing with the landlord and the leasing company. When I first moved in, I noted that the walls were still dirty from the previous tenants. There were small chips here and there and even what appears to be slight burning from Christmas lights or something similar. Knowing that it could bite me in the ass later, I made note of it, pointed it out, and even tried to make a stink about it, because I didn't want to be accused of causing it later. I was verbally placated by everyone in the office that it'd be fine/repaired. Fast forward a year, and I'm being accused of causing it. I failed on my part to ensure that pictures were taken of the walls before I signed the lease (tip: if you want something done, do it yourself). I concede that there are some holes to be patched, and a temporary wall was painted cream instead of white, but they're demanding $1200 to paint the entire apartment, which is ridiculous, especially considering that the only "damage" to most of the paint was from the previous tenants and/or easily fall under normal use. At the very least, repair and paint the walls that need work, not the entire apartment! What really irks me is when they showed my roommate painting bills from other tenants – some charged as much as $4000 – which reeks of extortion to me and is certainly illegal. In any case, be wary of dealing with these people! Document everything, ensure all your notes are attached to the lease, and don't take a verbal agreement as a binding contract. Make a stink and nitpick everything, because you better believe that they're going to do the same when you. Remember, they're the ones holding onto your security deposit. Their word means nothing and they seem unfazed that you're aware that they're screwing you. For the price, I'd move to a newer building with a doorman and some real amenities/better decór. The washer begins to smell if left closed (the other tenants did this) and the dryer never fully dries anything. The cabinets are too deep and too tall so shorter people have a hard time using any of them without a step stool. Our floors had large bumps in them because the cheap construction had what are probably pipes at near the same height as the floor. The insulation around the balcony door is garbage and the floors are drafty and need to be sealed. The bathtub has cracks along its perimeter even though the building is only a couple of years old. These things might be basic repairs for most, but I only list them because I have no belief that the building super would actually take care of them in a timely manner, so I never bothered to ask her. I will definitely say that the sound insulation between floors is amazing and except for hammering/dropping bowling balls I never heard anyone above/below me. [less]