Waiting On Approval. Current Building Need Answers (apartments, rental market)

[London1Queen89]

Hello all,

I was ask to submit my documents about 2 weeks ago which I did. My current lease is up in October but my current building is asking me if I am going to renew my lease. They went up $500 on my rent. So I reached out to the contact who asked for my documents to see if I can get an update. I have yet to hear anything. I don't want to turn down my current building in case I don't get the apartment. My question is how long before my lease is up do I need to inform my building that I am moving out and how long to the approval process take after submitting the documents.

[BritinNYC]

Originally Posted by London1Queen89

Hello all,

I was ask to submit my documents about 2 weeks ago which I did. My current lease is up in October but my current building is asking me if I am going to renew my lease. They went up $500 on my rent. So I reached out to the contact who asked for my documents to see if I can get an update. I have yet to hear anything. I don't want to turn down my current building in case I don't get the apartment. My question is how long before my lease is up do I need to inform my building that I am moving out and how long to the approval process take after submitting the documents.

Which building is this for? It really can vary.

If it is by the end of the October? Perhaps things will have progressed by then but there is no guarantee. There is one particular building here which has been absolutely savage in rejecting fully qualified people for not including documents they never asked for in the first place, or something was left off in error that would have been able to be emailed over within 1 minute had they just given a heads up, or (my favorite) someone sent a screenshot of their Paypal balance with $2 on it rather than a statement. Same building rejects all appeals on the basis of "it wasn't right the first time around" and HPD backs them up without even reading the complaint details. I might sound like a stuck record at this point (as I've mentioned in a couple of other threads) but it is just to warn you that even if you are fully qualified something like that could go wrong.

It might be worth talking to your current landlord and seeing if they are amenable to a month-by-month contract renewal after October in case it takes longer. The last thing you want is to take a gamble and then a similar kind of things happened to you as others have experienced.

[Nycgirl91]

I’m currently going through the process right now too, I submitted my documents over 2 months ago! It’s best to arrange a month to month lease with your current landlord because we don’t know how long the HC process can take. The people I know personally who have got into these buildings their process took about 4 months but everyone’s situation is different. I would recommend trying to set up a month to month lease arrangement with your current landlord that’s what I did with mine because I have no idea when I’ll be getting into the HC apartment or how long this whole process will take.

[Nycgirl91]

I thought I would be in my HC apartment by now but things didn’t work out that way, there was a set back with my documents so they need to review a document over. These Things happen, this process isn’t smooth or easy at all, so it’s best to plan ahead and ask your landlord to arrange a month to month lease with you to be safe.

[BugsyPal]

Originally Posted by London1Queen89

Hello all,

I was ask to submit my documents about 2 weeks ago which I did. My current lease is up in October but my current building is asking me if I am going to renew my lease. They went up $500 on my rent. So I reached out to the contact who asked for my documents to see if I can get an update. I have yet to hear anything. I don't want to turn down my current building in case I don't get the apartment. My question is how long before my lease is up do I need to inform my building that I am moving out and how long to the approval process take after submitting the documents.

While possible it's highly improbable you will have completed lottery process up to and including lease signing within next 60 days (October).

Check to see if lease renewal papers gave a date by when you must either return signed (with funds covering increase in rent), or notify them you are declining to renew and move out.

https://www.metcouncilonhousing.org/...ate-apartment/

If no such wording exists contact your landlord for clarification as to how long offer (renewal lease) remains open. Since oral agreements aren't worth paper they are printed upon you might wish to get this in writing.

You can be honest with your LL and say while willing to renew lease are actively looking to move (affordable housing lottery or otherwise), thus there may be a chance will need to break a renewal lease if signed. Not all LLs welcome month to month tenants, especially now with rental market quite hot. If LL believes he can get another tenant for your apartment at same or better rent after October, and said tenant is willing to sign a lease for one year....

Then there is being crafty...

Simply sign lease renewal at last possible moment, but continue with lottery process. By law NYS landlords must seek to "mitigate" any losses when a tenant breaks lease early. That is they must at least try to find another tenant before holding pervious to full terms (financially) of said lease. You can also simply be honest and tell LL you've found another apartment if and when lottery unit comes through. In this current red hot RE market your LL likely won't have issue finding a new tenant and will release you from lease.


There are websites where people list apartments they want to get out of leases, and as you might imagine with current hot housing market most don't have issues finding someone.


Finally by NYS laws only court can evict someone from their apartment. If you don't sign renewal lease you'll automatically lapse into a month by month tenant until or if LL brings legal action (hold over proceeding) to remove. As link above explains if you continue paying old or new rent much will depend upon how LL reacts. If they cash those checks/accept payment, then you've established a de facto month to month tenancy. If not, well then you may have issues.