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That's illegal, landlords are required to provide cold season heating & 24/7/365 hot water at their cost. You can file actions to recoup the expenses
This is not true. The only true PART of what you said is that landlords are required to provide heating and hot water. They most certainly don't have to do it at their cost.
I did not know that was illegal, the landlord provides $50 credit for December, January, Feb, March.
What actions can I take? Is it too late since I signed the contract?
Don't worry. It's not illegal for the LL to charge. Sounds like you like the place and the location, so I think you will be fine. You might want to follow others' advice about how to keep the electric bill down (unplug things when not in use, keep thermostat set lower than you might normally, etc.) but otherwise move in and enjoy.
This is not true. The only true PART of what you said is that landlords are required to provide heating and hot water. They most certainly don't have to do it at their cost.
Yup. The only landlord that I had pay for heat was a cheapo and used to barely turn it on, so I ended up buying a space heater which cost an arm and a leg to run.
This is not true. The only true PART of what you said is that landlords are required to provide heating and hot water. They most certainly don't have to do it at their cost.
It has to be included if it's rent stabilized, the landlord CANNOT require the tenant to pay for it. If the OP is market rate then yeah she might out of luck
It has to be included if it's rent stabilized, the landlord CANNOT require the tenant to pay for it. If the OP is market rate then yeah she might out of luck
This isn't true either.
The only PART of what you said that is true is that if a rent stabilized tenant is currently not paying for heat, the LL can't change things because it would constitute a decline in services. Did you read the link I posted above? It states this:
Tenants in rent-regulated apartments who are not paying for heat and hot water cannot be required to pay for such services in the future, as that would constitute a change in the terms of the tenancy.
The implication is (and the fact is) that some rent stabilized tenants start off their tenancy with a lease that requires them to pay for heat. I know this because a friend lives in a RS building in Queens, paying around $900 for a one bedroom. It is an unusual post-war 6-unit building with electric heat, and she pays for her electric bill. This is legal.
Much of NYC's housing stock is old, some if it is *VERY* old, this is especially true of multi-family housing (tenements, apartment buildings, co-ops, etc...). As such the most common method of supplying heat and hot water is the same that has been around since the 1800's; hot water or steam provided by coal (now oil and or gas) fueled boilers.
Rent control laws only cover services that were provided as part of the original lease. That is if the building supplied heat and hot water when you took possession of the unit it cannot withdraw those services if RC or RS. All NYC multi-family housing is also covered by various laws regarding the provision of hot water and indoor temperatures again *ONLY* if the LL provides and or provided such services.
As another poster stated though not common there are older buildings where heat is provided via electric and the tenant pays. RS under those circumstances means nil since thing service was never provided.
Going forward on many levels it makes sense to phase out old fashioned steam/hot water heating in favour of PTAC, central air and heating or other methods that give residents direct control of the temperature inside their apartments. Currently the best thing most have to regulate temperature is by opening windows, which is a terrible waste of energy. However one of the pitfalls of steam/hot water heating is it is *VERY* difficult to regulate the supply of heat to large buildings. It always seems some are roasting whilst others are complaining about "freezing" to death.
From what one hears buildings with lots of elderly persons are the worst. It can be in the fifties outside and they are banging on the super's door complaining they are "cold". So on comes the heat to shut them up and the rest have to either walk around in their undergarments or open windows to be comfortable.
When it comes to hot water tenants/residents who do not pay directly tend to use it without care. If like homeowners they got a bill each month you can be sure that would stop pronto.
Having lived and spend much time in Europe would take building supplied heat and resident/paid for hot water (via electric or whatever). Most households do not need or can lower their hot water use, heat to keep warm OTOH is another story.
I rent a 1,200 square foot condo with electric heat, electric AC, electric WD and Electric Dishwasher and electric hot water heater. No gas, oil, etc in unit.
Tenant has no problem with it. The couple works 12 hours a day and has no kids and goes away some weekends.
If they were a married couple and there was a stay at home wife and a couple of kids it most likely would be very expensive.
It depends how much you are home, how many loads of wash and dishes you do and how many showers you take
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