Towards the end of September, I realized that the property management company did not cash my rent check. I called the company and asked if they had received it, to which they said they had not. I feared it lost in the mail, so I called my bank to ask how much it would cost to cancel a check, which is $15. Trying to save myself some money, I went down to the office to talk to the property management company in person. The surly man at the front desk informed me that my rent was overdue, that I should cancel the lost check and write a new one. I explained to him I didn't want to have to pay for it, and could he take a new check to cover my rent and not cash the old one if it arrived? I had brought with me a letter I had written which very clearly stated the problem with my rent not being paid on time and the costs associated with cancelling a check. I detailed which check # was lost in the mail, which was the new check # and to please DO NOT CASH the lost check if it showed up. He said he would give it to the rent manager. Fast forward to a week later when
both checks have been cashed. It was so much money that my account went negative and now I've been charged a bunch of fees by my credit union! Should I fight my landlord to get them to pay for these fees?
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posted by cristinacristinacristina
on Oct 9, 2012 -
36 answers
My roommate gave me notice that she was moving out on May 1. Now she says she's staying until the end of her lease. But we don't have a lease! This is in NYC.
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posted by mgar
on Apr 19, 2012 -
8 answers
I live in a pre-war (1920's?) Brooklyn apartment building. Recently, the ceiling in the kitchen collapsed due to a leak in the pipes above, spreading plaster, dust, and wet and dry gunk everywhere. Now the landlord has completed a shoddy-looking repair, again leaving everything in the kitchen covered in dust and powder and sticky gunk. Every. Single. Thing. Two questions: how do I find out if we are in danger of asbestos exposure? How do I proceed if we are?
posted by jennyjenny
on Feb 24, 2012 -
7 answers
There is a smoke detector in my building doing the low-battery chirp, and it's been going off for DAYS. How do I make it stop? Please, please help.
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posted by serialcomma
on Feb 17, 2012 -
24 answers
I've been living in a NYC apartment for six years without a signed lease. Now I want to leave. What are my obligations about giving notice to my current landlord?
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posted by zerbinetta
on Feb 14, 2012 -
7 answers
NYC renters filter, asking for a friend: calling 311 over repeated and frequent lack of heat and hot water isn't working, as the landlord is a flagrant scofflaw. A lawsuit seems to be the next step - any advice from others who've taken that step?
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posted by EmpressCallipygos
on Nov 8, 2011 -
9 answers
NYC Realestate filter. Best ways to find an apartment sublet this August, and then a rental. Must be on the E/F subway line. Questions about subletting/renting -> Clinton/MidtownEast/LIC-queens neighborhoods follow.
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posted by lalochezia
on May 6, 2011 -
1 answer
NYC Landlord Weirdness. Our building had two landlords, each of whom presided over different apts. 3 Apts (including ours) were managed by Landlord A, 4 by Landlord B. Now landlord B is taking over the entire building. I have some questions.
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posted by to sir with millipedes
on Apr 5, 2011 -
4 answers
NYC Landlord filter - in my apartment building, each of the apartments has their own gas hookup, but the landlord has not turned on the heat for the communal areas (hallways, etc.) Is this against the law?
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posted by to sir with millipedes
on Mar 2, 2011 -
7 answers
I live in Manhattan. I'm going away from this month until roughly March 2012. I have a desk, a sofa, a chair, a stool, lots of books, electronics, a bicycle and various other little things that I want to keep, but where to put them? Cheapest storage in New York or the surrounding states?
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posted by omnigut
on Sep 5, 2010 -
5 answers
Three of us moved into a four-floor brownstone on November 1. The next month the landlady died. Since then we've been dealing with her niece, who is very kind and a good substitute landlady. But now there's some familial dispute and it turns either the landlady died intestate or the will simply hasn't been found yet. The niece's lawyer advised her to give keys to the other family members involved, which freaks us all out.
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posted by Viola
on Mar 8, 2010 -
10 answers
How do I protect myself from a situation like the one I read about (inside), where a sex-offender was hired as a super and was allegedly being inappropriate?
Can I/should I ask for background checks from anyone who has keys/access to my apartment, since it seems like the landlord is not required to do so (in NYC)?
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posted by thebazilist
on Feb 1, 2010 -
15 answers
Asking for a friend: Is there anything that can be done about a landlord who lives in the building and allows his dog to defecate throughout the building?
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posted by millipede
on Dec 31, 2009 -
14 answers
NYCRentFilter: My landlord is letting me walk after my lease is up rather than cut my rent, even though the apartment will be vacant for at least a month after I leave. Why?
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posted by raconteur
on Mar 27, 2009 -
38 answers
nychousingfilter: I signed a lease, moved into my new apartment on the 1st and now my landlord is demanding an extra security deposit. Can they do this?
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posted by anonymous
on Oct 22, 2008 -
15 answers
NYC-Renters-filter. How do I make my management company make the ass-hat neighbors upstairs stop using our patio as an ash-tray.
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posted by allkindsoftime
on Sep 16, 2008 -
6 answers
My landlord is a slime bucket and I need to break my lease. What kind of repercussions might I face?
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posted by Sloop John B
on May 14, 2008 -
11 answers
Complicated, messy NYC roommate/landlord question: 4 roommates share a 3 bedroom converted into 4 (with permission). One roommate signed a lease for a new building without getting permission from current building to transfer name on lease to new roommate. Said old roommate now refuses to pay six months of rent (remainder of lease). Much, much more inside.
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posted by SeizeTheDay
on Mar 28, 2008 -
8 answers
New York City Landlord Filter: I just began a new job as a manager of some residential buildings in NYC, and I think I'm a bit under qualified for the position. Anything that can help me out with learning the intricate legal requirements as well as general tenant management would be quite helpful. Any ideas?
posted by curiocity
on Jan 8, 2008 -
4 answers
We signed a lease (2 copies) on a new apartment in NYC, at our broker's office. The 2 copies were sent to the management company. As promised, the management company sent one of the copies back to us about a week later. It's got our original signatures, but the landlord didn't sign it! The line for the landlord's signature is empty. Doesn't this mean that we're bound to the terms of the contract, but the landlord is not? It seems very wrong. Is it normal? Should we demand a copy of the lease with the signatures of both parties on it?
posted by edlundart
on May 28, 2007 -
18 answers
One of the few repairs that needs to be performed on our next apartment is a leaky bathtub faucet. Not mere drips: a constant steady stream of water is wasted. If they are unwilling to fix this leak, would I be silly not to take this otherwise perfect apartment? How guilty should I feel about so much water wastage?
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posted by skryche
on May 2, 2005 -
12 answers
