We live in a very well run rental building. We just received notice that our building per law will be undergoing facade work this Fall. We've lived here a long time and have heavy/big furniture and lots of plants out there. As well as most of the rooms in apt look out onto the terrace. Mgmt advised that we will need to empty the terrace completely, and will not have access to this for several... [more]
We live in a very well run rental building. We just received notice that our building per law will be undergoing facade work this Fall. We've lived here a long time and have heavy/big furniture and lots of plants out there. As well as most of the rooms in apt look out onto the terrace. Mgmt advised that we will need to empty the terrace completely, and will not have access to this for several month. Project is slated for 20 months, but not sure how long it will effect us. Before I talk with them about accommodations for helping us move the terrace contents and storage (which looks like it is not offered) I would like to know my rights, if any. Obviously, we pay a premium for this terrace since only about 10% of the units have a terrace, and we will need to disassemble our furniture to get it through the door, not to mention, all the plants will die.
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Response by truthskr10
over 11 years ago
Posts: 4088
Member since: Jul 2009
As an owner, you would be responsible for the removal and storage.
Im sure as a renter there is a clause in your lease whether vague or specific that requires the same.
Instead I would be quite polite and ask for a more specific window of time within the 20 months for your section of the work.
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Response by raddoc
over 11 years ago
Posts: 166
Member since: Jun 2008
Move if the terrace work will negatively impact your lives for a prolonged period. At least try to get rent reduction to compensate for loss of space, ventilation , use of terrace and light.
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Response by ph41
over 11 years ago
Posts: 3390
Member since: Feb 2008
I watched a terrace renovation at a nearbycoop building, where all the plantings were moved to the roof. Don't know how this was arranged, and who paid for it. But after the work was done, that plantings went back to the terrace.
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Response by jelj13
over 11 years ago
Posts: 821
Member since: Sep 2011
When I was on the Board of a condo, we had to do extensive façade work. About 10% of the building had terraces. All of these terraces had heavy planters and outdoor furniture. Fortunately, they were on the top 2 floors of the building and we started from the top of the building. We tried to minimize the time they could not use the terraces. The residents could put everything back on the terrace when their affected areas were finished. Unfortunately, they were still affected by the rigging for the scaffolding. In certain lines, the workmen had to access the scaffolding through apartments.
This was a very uncomfortable time for terrace owners. We tried to minimize the time they lost the use of the terrace and "ease the pain" since the façade work took several months to complete.
I believe the residents paid the building staff to help them move their belongings off the terrace. We did not have storage space in the building to accommodate them. We also discovered that some of the plantings had to be permanently removed because the terrace was not rated to carry that much weight per square foot. Also, some planting were attached to the parapet in a way that had caused damage to the brick work -- meaning that was the source of leaks for the resident below them. We also discovered that a few terraces had drilled into the brick to hang things off the outside wall of their apartments, again causing leaks below.
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Response by ph41
over 11 years ago
Posts: 3390
Member since: Feb 2008
My coop building is currently undergoing extensive facade work. I have terraces on 3 sides of my apartment and the workers basically just occasionally moved some of the pots to position the anchoring/cables they have to use. I also observed other terraces in the building as the work progressed. In some cases portions of the terraces were roped off, but still usable, even when scaffolds were erected on the terrace.
The workers NEVER had to access the facade from inside any apartment. They used ladders from the roof and from the terraces. Extensive facade work outside our apartment included total replacement of large areas of brick, both on outer walls and on parapets.
Basically furniture and plants remained on terraces.
The instance I mentioned previously re: plants being moved to the roof actually was in conjunction with replacement of the terrace floor tiles, not with facade work.
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Response by NYCMatt
over 11 years ago
Posts: 7523
Member since: May 2009
"This was a very uncomfortable time for terrace owners. "
As an owner, you would be responsible for the removal and storage.
Im sure as a renter there is a clause in your lease whether vague or specific that requires the same.
Instead I would be quite polite and ask for a more specific window of time within the 20 months for your section of the work.
Move if the terrace work will negatively impact your lives for a prolonged period. At least try to get rent reduction to compensate for loss of space, ventilation , use of terrace and light.
I watched a terrace renovation at a nearbycoop building, where all the plantings were moved to the roof. Don't know how this was arranged, and who paid for it. But after the work was done, that plantings went back to the terrace.
When I was on the Board of a condo, we had to do extensive façade work. About 10% of the building had terraces. All of these terraces had heavy planters and outdoor furniture. Fortunately, they were on the top 2 floors of the building and we started from the top of the building. We tried to minimize the time they could not use the terraces. The residents could put everything back on the terrace when their affected areas were finished. Unfortunately, they were still affected by the rigging for the scaffolding. In certain lines, the workmen had to access the scaffolding through apartments.
This was a very uncomfortable time for terrace owners. We tried to minimize the time they lost the use of the terrace and "ease the pain" since the façade work took several months to complete.
I believe the residents paid the building staff to help them move their belongings off the terrace. We did not have storage space in the building to accommodate them. We also discovered that some of the plantings had to be permanently removed because the terrace was not rated to carry that much weight per square foot. Also, some planting were attached to the parapet in a way that had caused damage to the brick work -- meaning that was the source of leaks for the resident below them. We also discovered that a few terraces had drilled into the brick to hang things off the outside wall of their apartments, again causing leaks below.
My coop building is currently undergoing extensive facade work. I have terraces on 3 sides of my apartment and the workers basically just occasionally moved some of the pots to position the anchoring/cables they have to use. I also observed other terraces in the building as the work progressed. In some cases portions of the terraces were roped off, but still usable, even when scaffolds were erected on the terrace.
The workers NEVER had to access the facade from inside any apartment. They used ladders from the roof and from the terraces. Extensive facade work outside our apartment included total replacement of large areas of brick, both on outer walls and on parapets.
Basically furniture and plants remained on terraces.
The instance I mentioned previously re: plants being moved to the roof actually was in conjunction with replacement of the terrace floor tiles, not with facade work.
"This was a very uncomfortable time for terrace owners. "
Horrors!