how much and how long does it cost to replace a door?
January 30, 2018 8:10 PM Subscribe
The fire department broke into my apartment and I need to replace the door. The landlord is quoting me "over two thousand dollars." Also, it's been two weeks already, and he says it won't be done for another two weeks, during which time I can't lock my apartment at all. Is this reasonable? If not, do I have any recourse? I am in NYC and my lease does not appear to have any relevant language.
The landlord claims it'll be a custom door to match others in the building. I'm unhappy about both the price and the time: I was expecting several hundred, definitely under a thousand, and two weeks from now will be a month since I've been able to lock the front door of my apartment. Am I being cheated? And do I have any recourse? Also, would the landlord have any liability if I were to be robbed during this time?
The landlord claims it'll be a custom door to match others in the building. I'm unhappy about both the price and the time: I was expecting several hundred, definitely under a thousand, and two weeks from now will be a month since I've been able to lock the front door of my apartment. Am I being cheated? And do I have any recourse? Also, would the landlord have any liability if I were to be robbed during this time?
My uneducated guess is that a working, lockable door is one of the necessary features of a livable apartment, like a toilet or heat. I would suggest contacting a tenants’ rights org post haste.
posted by supercres at 8:16 PM on January 30, 2018 [17 favorites]
posted by supercres at 8:16 PM on January 30, 2018 [17 favorites]
No lockable door is absolutely unreasonable. A non-matching but lockable door could be put in in one day if anyone cared to.
The cost sounds improbably high assuming that only the door leaf requires replacement but the frame and hardware can be re-used. If the frame was destroyed and will require removal from the wall and replacement (likely with a fire rated frame) along with replacement of the door leaf, then I'd think the price could creep up - but that still sounds high. Unless this really is a specialty custom item in which case all normal pricing expectations are out the window. I do think it is reasonable for the building owner to require the corridor door match.
Others have responded regarding financial responsibility. It doesn't sound like you caused the damage - although implicit in your wording is that there was some reason related to your occupancy of the unit that was a catalyst for the fire department action. Absent gross or deliberate negligence, I'd be surprised if this was your bill to pay. At the same time, it also may be an expensive battle to fight. Get legal help.
posted by meinvt at 8:26 PM on January 30, 2018
The cost sounds improbably high assuming that only the door leaf requires replacement but the frame and hardware can be re-used. If the frame was destroyed and will require removal from the wall and replacement (likely with a fire rated frame) along with replacement of the door leaf, then I'd think the price could creep up - but that still sounds high. Unless this really is a specialty custom item in which case all normal pricing expectations are out the window. I do think it is reasonable for the building owner to require the corridor door match.
Others have responded regarding financial responsibility. It doesn't sound like you caused the damage - although implicit in your wording is that there was some reason related to your occupancy of the unit that was a catalyst for the fire department action. Absent gross or deliberate negligence, I'd be surprised if this was your bill to pay. At the same time, it also may be an expensive battle to fight. Get legal help.
posted by meinvt at 8:26 PM on January 30, 2018
First, from the NY Tenant's Rights Guide, when a landlord has been notified that a door lock is broken and willfully neglects to repair it, the tenant may hire a locksmith and deduct the cost from the rent.
Then, from the NYC bar, if you are the victim of a crime in your apartment, and you can show that the criminals were able to get into your apartment because the landlord did not fix a broken lock on the main door, you may be able to recover damages from your landlord. Be sure to notify landlord of all bad conditions in writing.
That being said, custom wood doors in ornate styles can indeed cost a couple of thousand dollars to fabricate. But it doesn't explain why a temporary lock - or a temporary door - hasn't been installed, or why you're on the hook for paying for that door if the fire department broke it down.
posted by I EAT TAPAS at 8:26 PM on January 30, 2018 [3 favorites]
Then, from the NYC bar, if you are the victim of a crime in your apartment, and you can show that the criminals were able to get into your apartment because the landlord did not fix a broken lock on the main door, you may be able to recover damages from your landlord. Be sure to notify landlord of all bad conditions in writing.
That being said, custom wood doors in ornate styles can indeed cost a couple of thousand dollars to fabricate. But it doesn't explain why a temporary lock - or a temporary door - hasn't been installed, or why you're on the hook for paying for that door if the fire department broke it down.
posted by I EAT TAPAS at 8:26 PM on January 30, 2018 [3 favorites]
Infrastructure is the land lord’s responsibility; that’s literally what you are paying them for.
You don’t describe exactly what the deal with the fire dept. was, but unless you destroyed the door, it’s not on you.
posted by SaltySalticid at 8:28 PM on January 30, 2018 [1 favorite]
You don’t describe exactly what the deal with the fire dept. was, but unless you destroyed the door, it’s not on you.
posted by SaltySalticid at 8:28 PM on January 30, 2018 [1 favorite]
Response by poster: Anyone want to recommend a tenants' rights lawyer with whom I could consult? Sounds like this landlord is not entirely on the up and up.
posted by d. z. wang at 8:31 PM on January 30, 2018
posted by d. z. wang at 8:31 PM on January 30, 2018
how large is your building? how many tenants? is this a situation where the landlord is also a resident in the same small building/brownstone? this is absolutely the kind of thing that should be covered by the building owner's insurance, and him passing the costs on to you makes me wonder if it's even a legal renting situation to begin with. if it is a legit rental, i don't know what the legality is of him trying to get paid for this by you AND by his insurance but i assume it tends towards the fraud end of the spectrum.
unfortunately the time frame for a custom job being an unreasonably long amount of time is, in my experience, accurate. when there was a huge fire in my building, the firemen destroyed every window in my home, at the end of august, and some of them were not replaced until mid october. however, i was not expected to pay for any of these expenses, nor was i expected to pay rent during that time.
posted by poffin boffin at 8:39 PM on January 30, 2018 [3 favorites]
unfortunately the time frame for a custom job being an unreasonably long amount of time is, in my experience, accurate. when there was a huge fire in my building, the firemen destroyed every window in my home, at the end of august, and some of them were not replaced until mid october. however, i was not expected to pay for any of these expenses, nor was i expected to pay rent during that time.
posted by poffin boffin at 8:39 PM on January 30, 2018 [3 favorites]
If the frame and lintel were destroyed and it is a custom size AND it's an exterior fire/ security door? Well I paid $1400 to replace one a few years ago on a very old house with a rotten frame and lintel I'm afraid. It was actually a lot of work and the door itself was expensive (weird size and metal and heavily insulated). Lots of custom framing and trim. The lintel was the worst part.
But a month is insane, he needs to come up with a temporary solution in the meantime. Unless you caused the fire through gross negligence or something that violated your lease first, then you might be SOL.
posted by fshgrl at 9:14 PM on January 30, 2018
But a month is insane, he needs to come up with a temporary solution in the meantime. Unless you caused the fire through gross negligence or something that violated your lease first, then you might be SOL.
posted by fshgrl at 9:14 PM on January 30, 2018
$2,000 and two weeks is very much on the higher end of high end exterior doors, but still realistic for a custom door (I'm a construction professional). Isn't that what insurance is for? You can go to your hardware store and get a"disposable" exterior door for about a tenth of that. Watch a couple of YouTube videos or enlist a handy friend to help with installing it.
posted by halogen at 9:53 PM on January 30, 2018
posted by halogen at 9:53 PM on January 30, 2018
For crying out loud get one of those padlock mount things and a padlock to keep your door secure. If the door and frame are already destroyed the landlord can’t bitch if you drill some holes to keep you and your stuff safe.
Then call the lawyers. This is BS first class.
posted by littlewater at 9:55 PM on January 30, 2018 [2 favorites]
Then call the lawyers. This is BS first class.
posted by littlewater at 9:55 PM on January 30, 2018 [2 favorites]
No door and the landlord won't pay? Semi serious Hire a 24/7 security firm and Sue your landlord.
Im angry that this is even a discussion. Local news crews, eye on your side, etc. Should be at least temp fixed asap.
posted by TheAdamist at 10:11 PM on January 30, 2018 [1 favorite]
Im angry that this is even a discussion. Local news crews, eye on your side, etc. Should be at least temp fixed asap.
posted by TheAdamist at 10:11 PM on January 30, 2018 [1 favorite]
Do you have renters insurance? Maybe he's trying to make a claim against your insurance rather than his or pay outright.
posted by jbenben at 11:28 PM on January 30, 2018
posted by jbenben at 11:28 PM on January 30, 2018
Free legal hotline and more information on tenants rights in NYC
posted by Waiting for Pierce Inverarity at 3:43 AM on January 31, 2018 [1 favorite]
posted by Waiting for Pierce Inverarity at 3:43 AM on January 31, 2018 [1 favorite]
If this was me, I would get it fixed myself right now (assuming I had the cash available) and would deduct the amount from the rent. This is something that should have been fixed immediately.
Doors are cheap, check Home Depot for comparables. Installation is a job for professionals, but they can get it done in an hour or two.
posted by w0mbat at 4:35 PM on January 31, 2018
Doors are cheap, check Home Depot for comparables. Installation is a job for professionals, but they can get it done in an hour or two.
posted by w0mbat at 4:35 PM on January 31, 2018
Call the landlord and tell him if he doesn't fix it right now, you're calling in a violation of safety regulations to the NYC Dept of Buildings and requesting an inspection. I find that usually gets things moving. The last thing a landlord wants is to have his building inspected since almost every older building is in violation of code somewhere, and those cost a LOT of money.
If threats aren't your style, you can also legally withhold rent until it's fixed, or repair it yourself and deduct the cost from your rent.
posted by ananci at 4:51 PM on January 31, 2018
If threats aren't your style, you can also legally withhold rent until it's fixed, or repair it yourself and deduct the cost from your rent.
posted by ananci at 4:51 PM on January 31, 2018
For crying out loud get one of those padlock mount things and a padlock to keep your door secure.
This. Might even get them to speed things up.
posted by aspersioncast at 1:36 PM on February 1, 2018
This. Might even get them to speed things up.
posted by aspersioncast at 1:36 PM on February 1, 2018
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