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I just found a good place in Forest Hills, Queens near 71st Ave.
This is in an apartment building and right in front of the room window on the oustide you have a fire stair case running. The aprtment is on the first floor and the fire ladder on the outside of the window is causing me discomfort becuase it seems as if a mug can climb it up and come in my room through the window. this aprtment is on the 1st floor.
Am i right in my assumption in terms of safety? Please answer me ASAP. I will be making my decision as to rent this out or not.
Yes, an unprotected window is an open invitation to all sorts of unwanted visitors. So you should definitely make sure that the window has a window gate in place.
You can try to get the landlord to install this for you, but it might be something that you'll have to pay for out of pocket (and make sure you get landlord permission before doing so).
Assuming that you have a gate in place, and you keep it properly closed/latched, then it should be perfectly safe.
This is an easy fix. I lived in Washington Heights while I was in medical school in an apartment with a fire escape and got a locksmith to install a LEGAL gate over the window. A legal gate is one that does NOT close with a lock, but rather with a clever device that can only be undone from the inside. Having a lock on a window gate is not only illegal, it's DANGEROUS! In the event of a fire you'd never have the key - you need to be able to open it without a key.
You have to get the sliding metal guard for the window. That is a total must. If you like the place and plan on moving in there, make sure you speak to the super and have him install the thing before you move in.
The messed up thing is that there is no law in the books requiring the landlord to put this up and the supers take advantage of this. You can try buying one and installing it yourself or you can either hire someone, or just get the super to do it. The supers often own the guard and remove it after someone vacates the apartment and then charge you to put it in. A nice little way for them to make extra cash. I think its a little messed up, that supers do that, but safety first, you don't want to be living in there without that.
so it would be ok after having the legal gate there? it's on the first floor is what makes me a little worried as someone down on the road can somehow put a small ladder and climb up on the fire case to my place.
again i am not from new york so is this somethin i should cross out or rent itit after having a legal, whats your take?
does this happen in new york a lot, this place is in forest hills.
It's very hard to break into those gates. Make sure you have good windows. Forest Hills is a nice area too. I wouldn't worry too much about it. Again put the gate up, and make sure your other windows are good.
If it's in the back, I, personally, would have a serious issue with it.
About 13 years ago, I was looking at a coop in the Ditmas Park section of Brooklyn. It was on the 3rd floor, I believe, and it was in the back. It had the fire escape, but it did have a metal guard. I rejected it. It went for $50,000 (1BR), plus no closing costs.
At around May of this year, that exact same apartment went on the market for $200K.
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