Getting Married While Living In Housing Lottery Apartment (apartments, lease)

[Significa]

For context, I moved into a 130% AMI building a few years ago and recently got married. My wife is now planning to move into my studio.

Anyone have any idea how this will impact the annual lease renewal and what I need to do to comply with any requirements for the housing lottery program? Would this impact my eligibility to stay in the apartment?

From a preliminary search, it doesn't seem like this will impact my ability to stay here but I may need to file more documentation but would appreciate if someone can provide more detail. Thank you in advance for any help here!

[RGC74]

Originally Posted by Significa

For context, I moved into a 130% AMI building a few years ago and recently got married. My wife is now planning to move into my studio.

Anyone have any idea how this will impact the annual lease renewal and what I need to do to comply with any requirements for the housing lottery program? Would this impact my eligibility to stay in the apartment?

From a preliminary search, it doesn't seem like this will impact my ability to stay here but I may need to file more documentation but would appreciate if someone can provide more detail. Thank you in advance for any help here!

First things first - contact your management if you haven’t already done so. A married couple in a studio is perfectly fine, but they need to know how much more income you’ll be adding if your wife works, and figure out whether this moves you into a higher AMI bracket. It will then be up to management to determine how to move forward after that.

Good luck and congratulations!!

[macnyc2003]

This is a situation where you need to pull out your lease and read it.

Have you had to re-qualify every year?

Does your lease have a rent-stabilized rider?

Most lottery apartments are rent stabilized and don't require you to re-qualify. You can make any amount of money and it won't affect your rent. You can win the real lottery and not have it affect your rent.

In short, having another person move in should NOT affect your AMI as far as your existing apartment is concerned. Your AMI doesn't matter after you have moved in.

It's not up to management how to proceed. Management needs to abide by the law.

Unless your lease says you have to re-qualify every year, you should be good to go. You do need to tell your landlord your new spouse will be moving it though. Best of luck, and congrats!

[Significa]

Originally Posted by macnyc2003

This is a situation where you need to pull out your lease and read it.

Have you had to re-qualify every year?

Does your lease have a rent-stabilized rider?

Most lottery apartments are rent stabilized and don't require you to re-qualify. You can make any amount of money and it won't affect your rent. You can win the real lottery and not have it affect your rent.

In short, having another person move in should NOT affect your AMI as far as your existing apartment is concerned. Your AMI doesn't matter after you have moved in.

It's not up to management how to proceed. Management needs to abide by the law.

Unless your lease says you have to re-qualify every year, you should be good to go. You do need to tell your landlord your new spouse will be moving it though. Best of luck, and congrats!

Thank you both for the kind words and help here.

I haven't had to requalify every year - I only had to renew my lease every year (i.e. they did not ask for any additional documentation).

I did go over my lease this weekend and the only relevant things I saw in there were:
1) I have to notify my property manager if I am adding any new roommates (done)
2) Provision in a Lease Rider: "Once a tenant is qualified as an eligible tnent that tenant will continue to be entitled to reside in his or her unit regardless of changes in his or her income persuant to, and provided that the tenant complies with, the provisions of the lease and this rider.

Based on that and the fact that my apartment is rent stabilized, it seems like I would be okay but let me know if I'm interpreting that wrong.

[BugsyPal]

Originally Posted by Significa

Thank you both for the kind words and help here.

I haven't had to requalify every year - I only had to renew my lease every year (i.e. they did not ask for any additional documentation).

I did go over my lease this weekend and the only relevant things I saw in there were:
1) I have to notify my property manager if I am adding any new roommates (done)
2) Provision in a Lease Rider: "Once a tenant is qualified as an eligible tnent that tenant will continue to be entitled to reside in his or her unit regardless of changes in his or her income persuant to, and provided that the tenant complies with, the provisions of the lease and this rider.

Based on that and the fact that my apartment is rent stabilized, it seems like I would be okay but let me know if I'm interpreting that wrong.

With each renewal RS lease LL is required to also send a form were tenant lists all adults living in apartment. You add your spouses name and other information on form and send it in with renewal lease to LL


This not same as requesting LL add spouses name to lease, but establishes fact a family member is living in apartment for among other reasons succession rights.

[macnyc2003]

I did go over my lease this weekend and the only relevant things I saw in there were:
1) I have to notify my property manager if I am adding any new roommates (done)
2) Provision in a Lease Rider: "Once a tenant is qualified as an eligible tnent that tenant will continue to be entitled to reside in his or her unit regardless of changes in his or her income persuant to, and provided that the tenant complies with, the provisions of the lease and this rider.

You are correct! You're good. No worries.

[randomperson2]

Yep, you're good. Congratulations.