DO NOT LET THIS LANDLORD OR HER REPRESENTATIVE LIE TO YOU. I am the former tenant and my partner and I were ideal tenants. I am happy to share my experiences but you deserve the truth. UTILITIES ARE VERY HIGH Utilities are outrageous. They lied to us about this so I would like you to know this going in. If you can afford the rent plus utilities then you have nothing to worry about. The first year... [more]
DO NOT LET THIS LANDLORD OR HER REPRESENTATIVE LIE TO YOU.
I am the former tenant and my partner and I were ideal tenants. I am happy to share my experiences but you deserve the truth.
UTILITIES ARE VERY HIGH
Utilities are outrageous. They lied to us about this so I would like you to know this going in.
If you can afford the rent plus utilities then you have nothing to worry about. The first year we paid $700 and $900 (nov and dec) in utilities. After I went to level billing it was $400 a month. Keep in mind they are 3 very old under the window units and the only way you can control the bills is to constantly worry about having them on. We get efficiency reports from Con Ed that consistently show we are using double the energy of an average similar home. Factor this in when you look at this place.
We sent the landlord requests to replace and all the information on new units but she never even responded to us.
THE LANDLORD HAS A COMMUNICATION PROBLEM
The landlord communicates late and often never responds to you and shows no interest in resolving issues that are problematic in the apartment. Our request to fix broken items and to do regular updates like caulking tubs that were never correctly caulked were ignored. THESE ARE LUXURY PRICES. YOU DESERVE TO HAVE A WELL MAINTAINED APARTMENT.
MAKE SURE YOU GET LANGUAGE IN THE CONTRACT THAT SPECIFICALLY SAYS THE 600 SQ FT TERRACE IS PART OF THE APARTMENT.
We took this apartment for the terrace. The inside is only 850 sq ft. The outside is 600 sq ft. It is the reason she prices it as she does and the reason we rented it. This year in June with no warning at all people showed up and took the terrace out of commission for 5 weeks during the time when a terrace is most important. I subtracted the 5 weeks loss from the rent. I proactively told her what I was going to do and she claimed the terrace WAS NOT PART OF THE APARTMENT and that I could. not do that. If it is not part of the apartment DO NOT LET HER CHARGE YOU the same as the other apartments. $4000 / mos is what the full size apartments cost and they are HUGE and you can use the space all year. Do not over pay for 850 sq feet. Get language that says the terrace is part of the apartment.
THIS IS NOT A 2 BEDROOM APARTMENT
It is originally a 1 bedroom. A wall was put up cutting the living space in half to make an office. with a tiny closet. No one could live permanently in that second bedroom. Its great for guests but not a full time living situation. It is also great for an office. But again, they are trying to charge for a 2 BEDROOM. I lived there almost 3 years. It is uncomfortable for guests after a week. Especially when the massive ac/heat unit is blowing right on you.
WINDOWS DO NOT OPEN
The windows have child safety locks on them. You cannot open to get fresh air so your utility bills go even higher. Hot air gets trapped in the apartment and you cannot open the windows to let it out.
WASHER DRYER AND OVEN HEAT THE PLACE UP
The washer / dryer is not vented properly. Im not sure its legal. It will heat the apartment up very quickly and make it humid. Same with the oven. It just makes the window issue and the utility issue worse.
Many of these issues are fixable and for the right person or couple this set up is amazing. However, you need to get a commitment from the landlord up front that she can fix these issues and will communicate with you and negotiate with you in a timely way. Nothing replaces human to human communication.
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Response by pinecone
over 2 years ago
Posts: 143
Member since: Feb 2013
Paragraph breaks are your friend. No one wants to slog though this mess.
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Response by George
over 2 years ago
Posts: 1327
Member since: Jul 2017
SE doesn't format paragraph breaks on the first post.
While OP has some valid complaints, it also seems that this was their first time in NY. Everyone in NY has an unvented dryer. Everyone's windows open just a bit. Tons of owners turn 1BRs into 2. Terraces get taken out for facade work - you can't withhold all the rent for that (just a fraction, depending on the lease wording, and then it's better to pay under protest than withhold). OP will live and learn.
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Response by 300_mercer
over 2 years ago
Posts: 10539
Member since: Feb 2007
George: Don't all the unvented dryers come with a condensor? This may be a real compaint with badly vented dryer.
It looks like OP is mixing the stuff as in "Nov Dec bill is too high" presumably due to electric heat (that bill is indeed high for a small apartment) and then complaining about oven making apartment very hot. Presumably during summer months - which of course is going to happen.
2 bedroom vs 1 bedroom. You can see the size when you rent. At least the apartment has two bathrooms.
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Response by George
over 2 years ago
Posts: 1327
Member since: Jul 2017
Unvented dryers come with condensers that either hold water in a tank that you drain when it fills or pump it out to a drain installed behind the appliance. I've had both in small apartments. Yes they make the apartment hot, even the high-end models like Miele. The tank models are worse because the tank is full of hot water. Welcome to NYC.
As for that high electric bill, I do wonder if someone isn't stealing that apartment's electricity. Kind of crazy. One of the due diligence items before signing a lease is to ask for the power bills to check this sort of thing. It's also possible that OP is a bit too particular and actually does use a ton of power.
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Response by Carl_6530305
over 2 years ago
Posts: 2
Member since: Sep 2020
Geoerge it’s funny when people boast being a New Yorker as some point of credibility. I’ve lived here 10 years but that has nothing to do with my post.
Whoever rents this place should know the downsides of this lanlord and the apartment. It’s an expensive apartment and the landlord can’t afford to maintain it. She is a nightmare to deal with. We loved her home and took care of it despite her being treating us poorly.
The other two units for rent are less money and double the size. They are amazing and those landlords have taken care of their condos.
Those were our frustrations and I fairly shared them. It’s $4,000 + $400-500 in utilities. It’s $4,500 per mos for an 850 Sq ft one bedroom with an office and a terrace you can use a dozen times a year if you’re lucky. It’s A LOT OF MONEY. I paid it. So get out of here with you’re New Yorker bullshit.
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Response by Carl_6530305
over 2 years ago
Posts: 2
Member since: Sep 2020
I think its very interesting when people try to explain other people's experience. George you seem very defensive for someone who has not lived in this apartment. You also presume to know a lot about me who you have never met. Why is that?
The other two units in the building are double the size and less money. The electricity will be lower. Anyone looking should rent one of those and RUN from the landlord renting 6A. She treats the condo like she cannot afford it and its a luxury building and you are paying a lot for it. You have better options.
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Paragraph breaks are your friend. No one wants to slog though this mess.
SE doesn't format paragraph breaks on the first post.
While OP has some valid complaints, it also seems that this was their first time in NY. Everyone in NY has an unvented dryer. Everyone's windows open just a bit. Tons of owners turn 1BRs into 2. Terraces get taken out for facade work - you can't withhold all the rent for that (just a fraction, depending on the lease wording, and then it's better to pay under protest than withhold). OP will live and learn.
George: Don't all the unvented dryers come with a condensor? This may be a real compaint with badly vented dryer.
It looks like OP is mixing the stuff as in "Nov Dec bill is too high" presumably due to electric heat (that bill is indeed high for a small apartment) and then complaining about oven making apartment very hot. Presumably during summer months - which of course is going to happen.
2 bedroom vs 1 bedroom. You can see the size when you rent. At least the apartment has two bathrooms.
Unvented dryers come with condensers that either hold water in a tank that you drain when it fills or pump it out to a drain installed behind the appliance. I've had both in small apartments. Yes they make the apartment hot, even the high-end models like Miele. The tank models are worse because the tank is full of hot water. Welcome to NYC.
As for that high electric bill, I do wonder if someone isn't stealing that apartment's electricity. Kind of crazy. One of the due diligence items before signing a lease is to ask for the power bills to check this sort of thing. It's also possible that OP is a bit too particular and actually does use a ton of power.
Geoerge it’s funny when people boast being a New Yorker as some point of credibility. I’ve lived here 10 years but that has nothing to do with my post.
Whoever rents this place should know the downsides of this lanlord and the apartment. It’s an expensive apartment and the landlord can’t afford to maintain it. She is a nightmare to deal with. We loved her home and took care of it despite her being treating us poorly.
The other two units for rent are less money and double the size. They are amazing and those landlords have taken care of their condos.
Those were our frustrations and I fairly shared them. It’s $4,000 + $400-500 in utilities. It’s $4,500 per mos for an 850 Sq ft one bedroom with an office and a terrace you can use a dozen times a year if you’re lucky. It’s A LOT OF MONEY. I paid it. So get out of here with you’re New Yorker bullshit.
I think its very interesting when people try to explain other people's experience. George you seem very defensive for someone who has not lived in this apartment. You also presume to know a lot about me who you have never met. Why is that?
The other two units in the building are double the size and less money. The electricity will be lower. Anyone looking should rent one of those and RUN from the landlord renting 6A. She treats the condo like she cannot afford it and its a luxury building and you are paying a lot for it. You have better options.