can sponsor evict a tenant if apartment sells?

Is the apartment rent stabilized or rent controlled?
And how old is the neighbor?
Any serious health issues?

no health issues besides a newborn. It's market rate apartment, unregulated

in their 30s

Sponsor is full of crap.

> It's market rate apartment, unregulated

Oh.

Tenant will have to leave unless the lease is renewed.

OK, he may be full of crap but is there any recourse? the coop has a new owner now so what does that mean for the tenant? Also the board does not allow rentals of units unless a tenant lived there two years.

Unfortunately for your renter friend, they are pretty much out of luck. This is basically a pretty standard transfer of ownership. If an apartment is unregulated, an owner, new or old, can basically do whatever they want. If the old rent was $1,000, and the new owner wants to make it $20,000, they can. Similarly, they can refuse to renew the lease if they want. As such, the tenant, if they choose to stay, will be doing so without a lease, and as such, unlawfully.

what Sonya_D said repeating what I said but with a lot more words.

thanks for these answers.

ie., more information.

(awww, don't get sour, old grayed-out friend!)

;)

Your neighbor can triple check that the apartment was properly removed from rent regulation. I believe the correct agency is NYS Housing and Community Renewal (HCR).

correct, alanhart. The neighbor can call 718-739-6400 (which is the DHCR). Ask for a history of rent. It is free and will be mailed to the renter's address. It will give the rents and apartment regulation status back to, I believe, 1984. This is the surest way to check to see if the apartment is regulated, AFAIK.

Sonya:

1. the apt is deregulated and sponsor has unconditional right to not renew lease

Why is your friend trying to steal someone's apartment at the 1st place? If she likes the place so much why didn't she simply buy the place at the 1st chance? At the worst, your friend can create a court-case, spend money on lawyers, etc and delay for 6 -12 months but after that she won't be able to rent anywhere in city.

re: Why is your friend trying to steal someone's apartment at the 1st place?

exactly. maybe mooching and squatting is easier than the rigors of saving a down payment and purchasing but who could live with themselves?

Some people cannot afford or do not want to buy for one reason or another. If you rent and have a lease, the tenant and the landlord/owner both have to agree for a renewal otherwise the lease ends and the tenant has to leave. Not much else to it. At least the owner is not trying to get you out before the end of the lease which would be illegal.

rb345:
Right.

csn brings up a good point... there are plenty of scumbags out there who will try to get the tenant out by any means necessary, regardless of how illegal. They should feel lucky that this new landlord seems to be doing things the right way.

She wanted to buy but the sponsor sold it to an employee of the sponsor's company who had been the sponsor's board rep in that very building. So it never went to market. I will give her this phone #. thanks again for this info.