Some may say that the only things that soar higher in New York City than its skyscrapers are the rental prices its real estate market commands. As space is always in high demand, so are its prices — one-bedroom apartments typically fetch around $3,000 per month on average. When a property owner fails to properly maintain these apartments, tenants may have legal recourse.
Some tenants on the Lower East Side of Manhattan are currently suing their landlord, alleging that he has failed to perform much-needed repairs on their apartments. Tenant advocates say they are also demanding that he stop his harassment tactics. The rent-stabilized tenants allege that the landlord has failed to address pests, mold and dilapidated appliances, even though they have repeatedly requested repairs and made countless calls to 311.
The tenants say their apartment building is both unsafe and also unfit for anyone to live in. City records show that there are now 79 open violations against this property with the Department of Housing Preservation and Development. Some of the violations are for mold, defective appliances and the use of lead-based paint.
To make matters worse, tenant advocates say that negligence may play a part in an alleged scheme on the part of the landlord to oust his rent-stabilized tenants. They assert that the landlord bought the building in order to flip all of the apartments at market-rate but to do so, the rent-stabilized tenants must first move out. In this case, he may be systematically neglecting their complaints. Any New York city tenant who is dealing with a negligent or unresponsive property owner — and has suffered injuries as a result — would be wise to consult with an experienced attorney.
Source: dnainfo.com, “Tenants Suing Landlord Over Repairs Rally to Demand Safe Conditions“, Allegra Hobbs, Sept. 22, 2016
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