Everyone within the real estate industry is entitled to his or her opinion. And I know that my opinion is biased. I also know that many spokespeople from the real estate industry are biased because they have never lived in a rent stabilized apartment and probably have never seen the lived reality of how many major landlords ACTUALLY behave.
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This post is relevant FROM SEA TO SHINING SEA.
New York Values #47 - Zillow/StreetEasy/Trulia/RealEstate.com
In NYC Zillow goes by a different name: StreetEasy. StreetEasy originally started to make the rental process more transparent, but after being purchased by Zillow really went the opposite direction and began intentionally misleading consumers.
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New York Values #38 - How to Rent an Apt in NYC WITHOUT a Broker (like me)
Do I want you to work with someone you trust? Yes. But are you going to? Probably not. I can talk until I’m blue in the face about all the reasons you should bring your own TRUSTED advisor to the table, but at the end of the day, if you want to DIY it, here are some tips and tricks that will make you look smart and hopefully not get totally screwed over.
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Finance Friday: Proposed Cap on Broker Fees
A city council member, Keith Powers, is proposing a bill that would drop broker fees on rentals from 15% to a maximum 8.3%, or one month’s rent. While I completely support the thought process behind it — reducing the prohibitive fees that come with getting an apartment in NYC — I’m concerned that it won’t have the intended effect.
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Going to make my landlord give me my overcharge money in $1’s so I can go Scrooge McDuck with them
Money Monday - Rent Overcharge Payouts
As a tenant, it is very important that you look up your apartment to see if it is rent stabilized, and, if so, request your apartment’s payment history. You may not know your apartment is rent stabilized, which is why I tell you to look it up. You may be paying an illegal rent, and you may be able to get that rent returned with damages and/or interest.
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How Can I Stop My Landlord from Raising My Rent?
None of this is guaranteed to work, but if you do your research and are prepared for a conversation, you will at least seem like you’re actually capable of moving out and moving on, so the landlord may not want to call your bluff. Their biggest leverage is that moving sucks, but you can use the below to level the playing field.
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This seems like the type of apartment that would be in a rental startup ad
New York Values #35 - Brokerage vs. Aggregator
I’m going to clarify something I’m often asked about regarding different real estate companies. Zillow and Redfin may seem similar, but they are completely different types of companies. Meanwhile, many of the new rental-related startups in NYC are actually more similar to Redfin in their business models than Zillow. Confused? I’ll break it down.
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Harlem, because Harlem has a huge number of rent stabilized apartments
New York Values #34 - The DHCR
I am still in the midst of my DHCR complaint (sent in a 76 page answer last week) and will tread lightly rather than give too many details before it is resolved, but I want to share my multitudes of experience with you, because not everyone has time to go all “A Beautiful Mind” on housing law.
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New York Values #33 - Landlord Selling
Today I’m writing something short and practical for all you renters out there, about your rights as a tenant if your landlord sells the building/apartment in which you live. It may also be helpful for anyone who owns and sublets/is considering renting out their place.
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New York Values #30 - 311
For a lack of heat or hot water 311 will reach out to the landlord IMMEDIATELY to make sure it gets fixed within 48 hours. For situations like mice, leaks, work without a permit, or a landlord who isn’t making required repairs, you can file a complaint and they will, eventually, send someone out to validate it and slap the owner with a violation.
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