Hi I'm looking at a purchase at a "White brick" building in the upper east side on East 70s. The space is large for the price of the 1 bedroom. but when i measured the ceilings (which feel lower), the living room came up to 7 feet 8 inches and the bedroom came up to 7 feet 10 inches. the building was built in 1960s 2 questions- 1) Is there a legal issue with ceiling height under 8 feet? Will there... [more]
Hi
I'm looking at a purchase at a "White brick" building in the upper east side on East 70s. The space is large for the price of the 1 bedroom. but when i measured the ceilings (which feel lower), the living room came up to 7 feet 8 inches and the bedroom came up to 7 feet 10 inches. the building was built in 1960s
2 questions-
1) Is there a legal issue with ceiling height under 8 feet? Will there be a legal issue to rent this out or resell (not aesthetic but legal issue) OR are these contructions grandfathered in?
2) How much could this impact resale value while selling? would pyscholigcally under 8 feet be a big issue? Feel wise not sure how different 7 feet 8 inches and 8 feet is but maybe anyone who measures may have an issue.
any comments specially on legal side most welcome.
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Response by NWT
about 11 years ago
Posts: 6643
Member since: Sep 2008
The building-code minimum is 7 feet, and has been for many decades.
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Response by ungdoo
about 11 years ago
Posts: 7
Member since: Oct 2008
I personelly would never look into building below 9ft although
I am only 5:3
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Response by mngmist
about 11 years ago
Posts: 71
Member since: Jun 2010
8 feel is ok if the windows go up to the ceiling.
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Response by Aaron2
about 11 years ago
Posts: 1698
Member since: Mar 2012
If it's a co-op, the 'legal' issue will be whether your proprietary lease permits renting it out. Many people aren't wild about ceilings below 8', and there are lots of white brick buildings with marginally higher ceilings, so at resale time you're somewhat disadvantaged vs. all of those buildings, absent any other distinguishing features.
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Response by Riccardo65
about 11 years ago
Posts: 347
Member since: Jan 2011
Make sure when considering a purchase of this type of property that you inquire about the status of the exterior brickwork. Many white brick buildings are having hideous problems necessitating completely redoing the exterior brickwork because of faulty construction. The worst was at 2 Fifth Avenue. It is an enormous building, and the bill was bit over $30M, with HUGE special assessments to all residents. Google the building and you will see what a disaster it was/is. I'm told most white brick buildings are facing similar situations since they were all constructed in the same manner (the brackets at which floor which were to support 9-10' of bricks have rusted away, and the bricks are sitting on top of each other with no reinforcement). Those buildings are SO ugly and SO generic it boggles the mind.
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Response by NYCMatt
about 11 years ago
Posts: 7523
Member since: May 2009
Meh.
Today's glass-curtain monstrosities will be the "ugly" and "generic" white brick buildings of the 2050s.
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Response by alanhart
about 11 years ago
Posts: 12397
Member since: Feb 2007
I once had an apartment on the market FSBO. The ceilings were 9 feet, measured by me. A dispute with a potential buyer nearly came to fisticuffs as he insisted that they were 11-foot ceilings. He wouldn't back down.
Go figure.
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Response by Aael921
about 11 years ago
Posts: 131
Member since: Jan 2013
My husband is 6"2" and felt uncomfortable with Lincoln Towers ceilings which are about the same, though clearly plenty of buyers don't care.
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Response by Riccardo65
about 11 years ago
Posts: 347
Member since: Jan 2011
Matt: Somehow I see you in a luxurious pre-war coop with 10' ceilings. Right?????
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Response by streetsmart
about 11 years ago
Posts: 883
Member since: Apr 2009
I thought LT had 8 feet ceiling, used to live there. But less than 8 feet no way.
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Response by gothamsboro
about 11 years ago
Posts: 536
Member since: Sep 2013
Who was the mayor when they first allowed only 8 feet?
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Response by falcogold1
about 11 years ago
Posts: 4159
Member since: Sep 2008
Abe Beam 4' 11.5"
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Response by NYCMatt
about 11 years ago
Posts: 7523
Member since: May 2009
Riccardo ... how did you guess??
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Response by john_boroff
about 11 years ago
Posts: 5
Member since: Aug 2009
thanks for the insight. if legally the appartments under 8 feet ceiling are grandfathered in then assume leasing them should not be an issue?
Matt: What else what you live in? A white brick building with no view and low ceilings? You have too much class. And NO, we will NOT get a room.....................
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Response by karhu
about 11 years ago
Posts: 84
Member since: Aug 2010
Minimum ceiling by building code is 8 feet, and it has always been. 7 feet is permitted for furred ceiling with area restriction.
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The building-code minimum is 7 feet, and has been for many decades.
I personelly would never look into building below 9ft although
I am only 5:3
8 feel is ok if the windows go up to the ceiling.
If it's a co-op, the 'legal' issue will be whether your proprietary lease permits renting it out. Many people aren't wild about ceilings below 8', and there are lots of white brick buildings with marginally higher ceilings, so at resale time you're somewhat disadvantaged vs. all of those buildings, absent any other distinguishing features.
Make sure when considering a purchase of this type of property that you inquire about the status of the exterior brickwork. Many white brick buildings are having hideous problems necessitating completely redoing the exterior brickwork because of faulty construction. The worst was at 2 Fifth Avenue. It is an enormous building, and the bill was bit over $30M, with HUGE special assessments to all residents. Google the building and you will see what a disaster it was/is. I'm told most white brick buildings are facing similar situations since they were all constructed in the same manner (the brackets at which floor which were to support 9-10' of bricks have rusted away, and the bricks are sitting on top of each other with no reinforcement). Those buildings are SO ugly and SO generic it boggles the mind.
Meh.
Today's glass-curtain monstrosities will be the "ugly" and "generic" white brick buildings of the 2050s.
I once had an apartment on the market FSBO. The ceilings were 9 feet, measured by me. A dispute with a potential buyer nearly came to fisticuffs as he insisted that they were 11-foot ceilings. He wouldn't back down.
Go figure.
My husband is 6"2" and felt uncomfortable with Lincoln Towers ceilings which are about the same, though clearly plenty of buyers don't care.
Matt: Somehow I see you in a luxurious pre-war coop with 10' ceilings. Right?????
I thought LT had 8 feet ceiling, used to live there. But less than 8 feet no way.
Who was the mayor when they first allowed only 8 feet?
Abe Beam 4' 11.5"
Riccardo ... how did you guess??
thanks for the insight. if legally the appartments under 8 feet ceiling are grandfathered in then assume leasing them should not be an issue?
What do you not understand about grandfathers?
Now that I think about it, I wonder if the 8 ft. ceiling heights allow for an exemption of some of the other rules: http://streeteasy.com/talk/discussion/17818
Matt: What else what you live in? A white brick building with no view and low ceilings? You have too much class. And NO, we will NOT get a room.....................
Minimum ceiling by building code is 8 feet, and it has always been. 7 feet is permitted for furred ceiling with area restriction.