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Spring is the season when newly minted college graduates flock to New York City to start their careers. And as the rental market heats up from now until September, owners of apartments should be aware that they are required to furnish each tenant signing a vacancy lease a notice that states the property's bedbug infestation history.
The Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) will institute a program to provide eligible Sandy victims with a longer-term housing option through the provision of a temporary voucher. The program will allow those who are currently staying in hotels to find a longer-term set up, and will end the cycle of two-week extensions that’s currently making displaced families feel like they’r...
A Queens owner was recently charged with reckless endangerment and other crimes for packing nearly 50 people in illegally converted apartments, some in garages and cellars. According to the Queens district attorney, he turned four houses in Jackson Heights and Elmhurst into fire hazards, with subdivided apartments, illegally installed utilities, and rooms without required exits. If convicted on all charges, he would face a prison sentence of up to seven yea...
Board members at a Prospect Park co-op building recently sued a woman for allegedly pretending her dead aunt was still alive for over three years to continue paying her $287.55 a month rent and live in her rent-stabilized apartment. Records show that her aunt lived there since 1959 and last saw a rent increase in 1985. The aunt died in April 2007 at the age of 91.
A former tenant of a rent-stabilized apartment on the Upper East Side recently sued his ex-landlord for $24 million over the interest on the security deposit he paid more than 40 years ago. The resident claims that the owner refused to hand over the interest after he moved out of 1100 Madison Ave. and relocated to New Jersey in 2012 after suffering a stroke. His lawyer said the accrued interest on the 1975 security deposit exceeded $10,000.
A group of four big short-term rental Web sites–Airbnb HomeAway, TripAdvisor, and FlipKey–recently announced that they’re starting the Short Term Rental Advocacy Center. The site will aggregate short-term-rental-friendly regulations from around the country in hopes of creating a legislative blueprint that cities can use to craft new short-term rental regulations.
Many owners supply tenants with appliances such as refrigerators, stoves, microwave ovens, and garbage disposals. And when these appliances eventually break down, you may need to know whether you’re supposed to repair or replace the broken appliance. Failing to do so, if required, can result in a Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR) ruling that you have reduced services, and the DHCR can order a rent cut.
This winter season while your tenants may be out-of-town enjoying warmer climates, you may find yourself needing to gain immediate access to their apartments for emergency repairs. A common dispute between owners and tenants involves the conflict between your right to enter an apartment and your tenant's right to privacy.
The city’s system for tracking who owns rental properties—a crucial resource in times of crisis, like Hurricane Sandy—is falling short, says a recent report issued by the Furman Center for Real Estate and Urban Policy. According to the report, the vast majority of owners required to register with the city fail to do so.