Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with housing and NYC

Is it a scam, or a scam-not?

sandra_s — Fri, 18 Dec 2009 15:03:38 -0800

Thinking about using a "vacation rental" seen on craigslist for 4 days in NYC in January. Has anyone ever done this? I, along with three of my associates (four of us total), will be in NYC (SOHO area) for 5 business days in January. Its a working trip where after the work day meeting with clients, we will be working together late into the evenings preparing for presentations for the next day.

We initially looked at getting 4 hotel rooms ( 1 for each of us) and all meeting in one, but the price of 4 rooms is ri-dic-u-lous in manhattan. That, and they are small. 4 people meeting in one in the evenings just wont work.

We thought of getting 2 rooms which can accommodate 2 people each, which is more reasonable price wise, but even more cramped in space.

We then thought of maybe one suite in a hotel to basically fit all 4 of us, but those are prohibitively expensive, especially the ones where we can get work done.

The nature of our work, and discussions that will ensue, can not be performed in a public "office area"

Looking for options, a friend pointed me to the "Vacation Rental" section of craigslist. Lots of options there. Made a few inquiries.

One that responded is NOT a "too good to be true" situation. The price is comparable to getting a hotel for the 4 of us, but it does give us the space we need. They sent along the address, and a rental application/agreement, with pretty easy to understand terms. They accept payment only through PayPal, which actually made me feel better, since they weren't asking for a credit card number. The woman wrote in her message that they are local, and live in Connecticut, and included a fax number to fax the completed agreement to.

So, my question would be has anyone ever done this before, are there any questions I should be asking, and what would be red flags you can think of?

Thanks in advance!

Housing dispute lawyer in NYC?

Anonymous — Wed, 26 Aug 2009 06:29:50 -0800

Can anyone recommend a good lawyer in NYC for dealing with housing issues, specifically a dispute over a security deposit with a former landlord? I'm currently wrangling with a former landlord who's refusing to return my (substantial) security deposit. I believe this will end up in Housing Court. I know I don't need an attorney for Housing Court, but I'd really like to have someone giving me advice and walking me through the process as well as helping me prepare and file all the necessary paperwork. I don't mind spending some money to do this, as the deposit in question was fairly large. Any recommendations?

Anonymous because I prefer not to have legal things associated with my username and Google-able by people I know.

NYC/SC Beach houseswap?

toastchee — Thu, 02 Apr 2009 06:31:22 -0800

I would like to visit and immerse myself and my young family in NYC culture. To this end, I would like to find an arrangement this summer whereby I could arrange a houseswap. We live near Charleston, SC, in a fabulous location that one could have a great vacation in. Anybody know how to get started making this a reality?

high-income rent deregulation

sequin — Mon, 29 Dec 2008 12:58:29 -0800

My landlord is trying to deregulate the rent stabilized status of my NYC apartment/home that I have lived in for 15 years. By law he can do this if my income is above $175,000 and the rent is over $2000 a month. I personally do not earn close to this but the rent is over $2000. Question, if I am the sole leaseholder and have a roommate (month to month status) does our combined income qualify towards this total or is it only applicable to the leaseholder? Basically, I need a roommate to afford the rent and I am trying to find out if I should renew my upcoming lease.

can a landlord demand more security deposit after you've moved in

Anonymous — Wed, 22 Oct 2008 12:53:20 -0800

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? First: I know you are not a lawyer and that even if you are, you're not my lawyer. Also this is posted anonymously because some of friends read Ask MeFi and I'd like my business to be private.

I'm taking time off to work on a startup, my family overseas is investing by covering the rent while I do and the company of a family friend signed a form guaranteeing my rent. I signed my lease, received keys, and gave the landlord's company first + last + security in the form of teller's checks which they've cashed last month, and I moved in on the first. All of a sudden the landlord has decided they want more forms from the company guaranteeing me which they don't want to provide, and have told my family that they'd like a few additional months security deposit. Can they do this? Can they cancel my lease and force me to move out or move to evict me if I don't cough up? I signed the lease but haven't received a copy of it signed by my landlord, so it's possible he's not signed it, but they cashed my checks and let me move in on the first. What are their options, and what are mine?

(And yes, I'm looking for a housing lawyer, but I'd still like to be able to know things and thus do my own research before I see one, hence this question. Thanks for help in advance.)

how much does heating cost in nyc?

boots — Mon, 11 Aug 2008 17:09:51 -0800

How much does it cost to heat an apartment in Brooklyn? My roommates and I are about to put down a deposit on a 3-bedroom in Greenpoint. The only unknown is that heat isn't included, and we have no idea what that will cost for a winter. Rough estimates and anecdotal evidence appreciated. 1000 a year? 500? 3000? Thanks much.

NYC housing for very low income people with disabilities?

cmgonzalez — Tue, 05 Aug 2008 12:36:07 -0800

My mother needs to find a new place to live. The house we currently live in will be set to go up for sale early next year. But repairs need to be made first, so my family would like us both to move ASAP. I’m looking at a move to Queens, but my mother has Multiple Sclerosis and has a limited income. All she has are her Social Security disability payments each month, which only come to about $600-700, and food stamps. I can’t afford to take her with me. We’re currently living in Brooklyn, and that’s where she prefers to stay. She can’t get into those HUD housing lottery buildings because she doesn’t meet the minimum income level for a “low-income” apartment. Heh.

The city’s Section 8 application list has been closed since May ’07 (we’ve been looking since about July '07 - damn), so that’s out as an option. Public housing is likely out too, because the projects can be wildly dangerous, and you have no choice where they send you. You can only select two preferred boroughs, with no choice of buildings. There’s one housing project in a decent area where she has friends, but there’s absolutely no guarantee she’d wind up there. I wouldn’t want my mother sent to Brownsville or Jamaica. If anything dangerous would happen, she can't move fast to avoid it. Nevermind the potential of a years-long waiting list.

She’s contacted the MS Society and spoken to a social worker at the center where she goes for physical therapy. We haven’t found many options that aren't for senior citizens. What we have found are a building in Coney Island (Friendship, I think) she might try. And the Bishop Boardman building in Park Slope, which she is applying to tomorrow.

She needs a first floor apartment or a building with a reliable elevator. We currently live on the second floor. It’s hard for her to climb stairs, especially since she uses a walker to get around and has trouble taking it up and down. I assist her with things (big reason I still live with her), but she’s actually quite independent. She doesn’t need any sort of intense care type of situation. She uses the MTA Access-a-Ride, and she goes out frequently – an MS group, physical therapy, occupational therapy, classes, and sometimes doctor visits. She’s been with the same neurologist for over 25 years. And all her friends and family are here; moving someplace else all alone wouldn’t really be feasible.

What other options are there for someone who is very low-income and disabled as far as NYC housing is concerned? Is there any way to weasel somebody who isn’t a domestic violence victim or protected witness onto the Section 8 list? Brooklyn is highly preferred, but any suggestions are helpful. Since all her doctors and activities are in Brooklyn, it can't be far flung like Inwood.

Her sisters are the ones selling this house, and so far they’ve been way less than helpful. Suggestions included dumping her into the Staten Island trailer park, sending her out of state, or sending her to Queens with me. (I would if I could, but I can’t). One is harassing my mother a bit lately because she wants to get money from the sale already. The other lives in a million dollar totally redone house. Anyhow, Mom and I are determined to find her someplace decent where she can maybe even get one of those motorized scooters to make her even more independent.

I'm sure there are stones we haven't turned yet, so I come to all of you.

I looked at these already: http://ask.metafilter.com/52870/What-are-the-various-governmentsubsidized-housing-programs-in-New-York-City
http://ask.metafilter.com/mefi/7967 but they don't really help much, as the circumstances are different.

how to deal with a deadbeat roommate and angry landlord?

Anonymous — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 22:27:14 -0800

[nyc] my roommate is a few thousand bucks behind on rent, our lease is up at the end of august, and my other roommate and i are both very worried he's not going to give our landlord everything he's owed before then. are there any ways for the two of us who are square with the landlord financially to avoid getting massively screwed by this (in the legal system + credit records) other than us ponying up his share? and yes, i know you are not my lawyer! thanks in advance for any suggestions and advice you guys can offer.

Is $1350 a month reasonable for an apartment on the Upper West Side of Manhattan?

oldlies — Mon, 02 Jun 2008 11:50:10 -0800

Is $1350/mo reasonable rent for an apartment on W 107th St. & Broadway (Upper West Side of Manhattan)? One bedroom, ground level, furnished, clean, utilities and cable included. Can you tell me anything about the W 107th & Broadway area? Nice? Stuff to do? Safe? If I had to pay for utilities + cable in Manhattan, approx. how much would that be per month?

Help me choose an apartment

sondrialiac — Fri, 30 May 2008 09:20:14 -0800

I am headed to law school in Brooklyn with a full ride and a great housing offer-- subsidized housing for 3 years. My partner and I can pick between two apartments, but we can't decide which we should take. One Bedroom
$1500/month
300 square feet
All but electricity included
Gorgeous historic brownstone building on beautiful residential street (Brooklyn Heights, trees, the works)
2nd floor of a 5 story walk-up
Laundry in basement
No A/C

Two Bedroom
$2040 a month
500 square feet
No utilities included
Great location, steps from subway and school, not particularly attractive street (bland, commercial, Downtown Brooklyn)
11th floor of an elevator building, GREAT view, Statue of Liberty, etc.
Laundry in basement
Central A/C

What would you do? Why? What factors should I be considering here? I can't view the actual apartments.

Thank you for any insight, opinions, anything that will help me brainstorm.

Luxury apartments nyc?

tessalations999 — Wed, 27 Feb 2008 12:02:02 -0800

I have a specific question about apartments in NYC. I will be moving June 1, and am looking for an apartment building in the Upper West Side with similar cost/amenities/location as Sheffield 57 or Trump Tower. Does any one know of any similar rentals or apartment buildings in the same area? I have been searching around, but am finding it hard to locate places that arent for sale, or that have the same standards as these two wonderful places. Thank you so much i really appreciate any and all help!!!!!

Need 80/20 Housing Help

plinth — Fri, 25 Jan 2008 16:25:26 -0800

Need help with an 80/20 housing issue gone mad. (posted by proxy -- this is for a friend, not me. I will post responses to inquiries)

My being disabled is part of it -- not just that it created the hardship condition to begin with, 5% of these units are supposed to be reserved for the disabled anyway.

I qualified for affordable housing in NYC last year
the developer denied me solely because my evil boss filed me 1099 instead of W-2 (my income numbers are in the bracket either way). Not only did I lose the housing, I then had to give most of my savings to the IRS...
developer then rejected two appeals, one following their instructions, one after getting the W-2 thing corrected.

There's apparently no oversight of the process, so all my efforts come to nothing. Developers get to make up their own interpretation of the rules, or rather guidelines. I've been to every branch of government. They kick this issue to each other like a football. It's a serious situation if you're really in the bracket ($15-20K/yr); time has shown I can't last out in skyrocket-market-rate-world.
I've tried the following, in writing and in person:

appeal to the developer, like they tell ya. Waste of time.
city council members from 3 districts (where the bldg. is, where I am meantime, and one I guess is pals w/the Speaker). No action.
talked to Legal Aid, which says if you make the income to qualify for the building (/win the case), it's too much to qualify for the Legal Aid program
never got through to anyone at Legal Services, but the numbers look similar
city council policy analyst: thinks the appeal period is bull, talked to HUD and the dev. but says his committee is preservation, not 80/20 -- says that's State
congressman: wrote letters to DHCR, HFA, and developer. They blew him off. This office now also says it's up to State

state senator: says if IRS was involved, it's federal, so his hands are tied. (THE WHOLE (STATE-RUN) PROGRAM IS BASED ON FEDERAL TAX RETURNS.) Gives me the number for Legal Aid (see item 3 above) and a senior-citizen-only legal help center. I am not a senior citizen, but a youngish, formerly vibrant and productive member of society.
assemblyman: tried calling HFA. Got a recording (that doesn't take a message).

A lawsuit would take years. (See this for a case that's already been filed with even less grounds than I have.) Better to have a governing body look at the facts and fix it. But is there even one?
Helpful suggestions? What approach or authority am I missing? I've done everything I can on my own.

Rent - Now on Broadway (and 170th)

jake — Sun, 16 Sep 2007 00:41:38 -0800

How can a freelancer with a decent but sporadic income convince someone in NYC to rent to him and not just point and laugh? Fellow freelancers, help a brother out!

My fiancee and I would like to move into northern Manhattan from North Jersey in the next year, but my self-employed status will surely complicate things, even though I'm making twice what I did at my old office job, and we're looking at apartments in the same price range as we pay now.

I get paid infrequently from different clients in large lump sums. The money goes into savings, and we transfer some over to checking as needed. Thus, I don't have any sort of pay stubs or "employment verification letters", but we can certainly make rent with no problem every month, and new work is rolling in all the time.

My fiancee makes 30k/year as a computer technician, which wouldn't cut it alone for a 1500/month apartment. She has excellent credit, mine is so-so.

I'm not a registered business yet, so I can't write myself checks and thus prove "steady income". Would that be a wise / legitimate course of action, anyway? What do you guys do, or what would you do?

I'm terrified that strict requirements with most agencies/brokers will mean I'll get rejected outright, even if I have money in the bank. It seems that people around here are way more cautious, even owner-listings on craigslist tend to be very stringent.

The good news is we're not in a hurry - this is not under a strict timeline, just "soon as we can". So any suggestions that require a few months to get rolling will be appreciated as much as any short-term ideas.

Incidentally, any NYC people who help out, if you live in the city, I'll totally take you out for drinks. Hopefully hit some meetups and whatnot, anyway - this move is mostly to increase my happiness, and that means more friends! I'm a shut-in over here, it's got to end.

Cheap/Dangerous places in NYC

iamck — Sun, 27 May 2007 13:51:07 -0800

Where do the poor folk live in NYC? Rent in the city seems prohibitively expensive. But where do the working class, poor folk live? Where are the dangerous slums? Did gentrification push poverty out of the city?

How do I find an apartment in NYC without going thru a real estate agency?

huskerdont — Fri, 05 May 2006 08:25:54 -0800

Non-realtor sources for an apartment in NYC/Bklyn? Currently looking for an apartment in Brooklyn but would prefer to avoid dealing with a real estate agency due to the hefty, hefty fees involved. Ideally, I would prefer somewhere with a commute within a half hour of my job and coffeeshops/bookstores/bars in walking distance - I'm finding myself searching mainly in the areas of "Brownstone" Brooklyn and Williamsburg/Greenpoint as a result. Unfortunately, I have had no luck finding for-rent by owner apartments in those areas via Craigslist or word of mouth. What are other sources for finding NYC apartments for rent without parting with $1000+ dollars?

What do I need to know to live in NYC for the summer?

Alterscape — Wed, 26 Apr 2006 14:17:45 -0800

MovingToNYCFilter: I'm soon to be a college grad, and I'm in the running for a 6-week internship in NYC that may become long-term employment. Please help me figure out what I need to know to live in the big city. I assume that for the time frame I'm looking at, I'll need to either rent a room from someone, or short-term sublet all or part of someone's apartment. I don't know where exactly in the city I'll be, but I know I'll be working long hours (6am-9pm .. ish) five or six days a week, and I'll need access to my car.

I've never rented alone, or an apartment -- for the past three years, I've been renting various houses in my small college town, with a close-knit group of relatively like-minded friends.

Where can I look to find out about commute times, distances, etc so when I find out where I'll need to be, I can have some idea of where I want to be looking for housing around there? Besides Craigslist, where should I be looking? I hope I'll know within about a month if I get the gig, and where I'll be working; theoretically the internship begins the week before July 4th, and runs through the middle of August.

What other questions am I not asking that I should be, and what are some possible answers?

I feel pretty overwhelmed with everything right now, but I know I need to take this internship to get my foot in the door in my industry of choice, and I want to avoid looking like an idiot and not making it to work on the first day or something crazy like that.

Landlord selling my building: Am I screwed?

logovisual — Mon, 20 Mar 2006 17:26:53 -0800

NYC: Our landlord is selling our building. We have a lease. What's going to happen to us? I just learned on Saturday that our landlord is selling the brownstone we rent the top floor of in Brooklyn. Somebody is already coming by to see the place tomorrow. We have a standard, legal lease; what are a new owner's responsibilities re: this lease, our rent, etc.? Does he/she have to honor them, or are we up shit creek? This is a surprisingly difficult topic to Google... My understanding was that they do have to honor the lease, but informally speaking, if that displeases them, they can make my life very difficult. Am I wrong in this, and they don't have to honor it at all?

NYC to Rutgers

sic — Fri, 20 May 2005 06:26:07 -0800

Question for NYCmefites and/or mefis that know about Rutgers University. I have a friend here in Spain that is going to do a 2 month academic sojourn at Rutgers but wants to enjoy NYC to the fullest. She has a tight budget, where should she stay? So here are the particulars. She is a young History professor that will be working at Rutgers University (Center for Historical Analysis, 81 College Ave) for two months. She needs to go to the university around 3-4 times a week, but would like to spend as much time as possible exploring NYC (obviously!) so she has some questions:

1. First of all this is happening Sept 1 - Oct 30, the first 20 days with her significant other, the second month she'll be on her own (a studio is fine either way).

2. She can't really spend more than $1000 a month on rent.

3. Because she wants to spend as much time in NYC as possible, she was thinking about staying in Brooklyn, but she is concerned about the commute. How long is it, what does she have to do (metro, trains,etc.). Specifically:

3a. How long and how expensive is the commute?

3b. How does she get from Penn Station to Rutgers? (and how does she get to the Center for Historical Analysis, 81 College Ave.?)

3c. New Jersey transit web site talks about peak morning and evening hours, what are these and how do they affect the price of the ticket?

4. Does anybody have a suggestion for an intermediate solution, somewhere in between Rutgers and NYC? Like in NJ, but close to Manhattan? Or any other area of NYC?

She's been checking out Craigslist, but any and all first-hand knowledge is welcome: people who know the area well, the commute, the University, or who know about good sublets for that period in an interesting part of NYC or NJ that is near the trains that she will have to take. Any overall advice for living in NYC or Rutgers?

Shiny, tiny new apartment in Manhattan or affordable charm in Brooklyn?

hsoltz — Wed, 19 May 2004 09:25:02 -0800

Another NYC Real Estate Question: the SO and I, who have always lived in charming smallish walk-ups with leaky tubs/peeling paint in Queens-like proximity to 'the big city,' have been seduced by the siren song of new construction downtown. With their pre-opening rent breaks, brand-new appliances, and convenience to both work and play, these "luxury buildings" appear to offer a whole new standard of living at an attractive price. However, ... [mi] ...we're slightly paralyzed by the thought that the same rent, or less, could land us a spacious yet locationally-challenged loft in Brooklyn. (Everything we're seen is far from a subway.) So which sounds better to you: "location, location, location," or the ability to inhabit opposite ends of an apartment without being able to hear each other?