Management Basics
October 23, 2012
The Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR) has just announced a cut in this year's air-conditioner rent surcharge for owners who pay for electricity. It set the monthly surcharge at $22.66, down from $29.13last year. This year's decrease reflects a 22.2 percent decrease in the...
Landlord v. Tenant
October 23, 2012
Discrimination: Preliminary Injunction to Reinstall Building Ramps Denied
Disabled tenants sued landlord for violations of the federal Fair Housing Act and New York State Fire Prevention and Building Code. They claimed that landlord improperly removed wheelchair ramps that tenants used at the...
Feature
October 20, 2012
According to the sanitation rules and regulations of New York City, owners are responsible for the cleanliness of the sidewalk in front of and adjacent to their property. The sidewalks (including areas like tree pits, grass strips, etc.) and gutter areas (18 inches from the curb into the street)...
Management Basics
October 10, 2012
The time is approaching when you’ll need to get your heating system online for the upcoming cold weather. In New York City, heating season officially begins on Oct. 1. By law, owners are also required to provide tenants with heat under the following conditions: Between the hours of 6 a.m. and...
Landlord v. Tenant
October 10, 2012
Discrimination: Landlord Discriminated Based on Sexual Orientation
Tenant complained to the state Division of Human Rights (DHR) of housing discrimination based on sexual orientation. The DHR ruled for tenant, awarded damages and fines, and then sued landlord to enforce its judgment. The court...
Feature
September 1, 2012
Tenants can cause unsafe conditions on your building's façade, especially during the summer months. Tenants may start placing items on the window ledge, such as plants and flowers, for the sun exposure. Tenants may attach something to the façade itself, such as a clothesline to take advantage...
In the News
August 31, 2012
Don't wait till you're hit with a rent overcharge complaint to get your old lease files in order. That's the advice of New York City attorney Erez Glambosky, who warns, “Since the 2010 Court of Appeals decision in Grimm v. DHCR, if a tenant submits a ‘colorable claim of...
Dos & Don'ts
August 31, 2012
The Environmental Control Board (ECB) recently ruled that an owner could be fined for failing to maintain a water meter in a readily accessible area. Furthermore, the rules don't require the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to give an owner prior notice that a water meter will be...
Landlord v. Tenant
August 31, 2012
Discrimination: Landlord Discriminated Against Wheelchair-Bound Tenant
Disabled tenants, a couple, complained to the local Human Rights Commission (HRC) about landlord's disability discrimination. Tenants said that landlord refused to accommodate their disabilities, repeatedly stating that he...
Dos & Don'ts
August 31, 2012
Be sure to follow the correct procedures to trigger a “no-access inspection.” By law, you're required to send two letters by certified mail, return receipt requested, at least eight days in advance of a proposed access date, before seeking a no-access inspection.
