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they can't get me to approve of a new unit without my signature so they wouldn't buy anything new without my advance approval. this they know. the lady is a drama queen but she wouldn't go that far. the man is much better but of course we all know who's finger he is wrapped around!!
a new unit would cost me 1/40th of the cost added to my rent. so a $600 unit would be something like $16. plus of course we all know about the annual % increases. it all adds up and they know it
as a tenant you have the right to a repair or a refurb free of charge but a new one will cost me added rent. they will whine to me that it can't be repaired or that they don't have a refurb but going thru dhcr will force dhcr to get in contact with the landlord and the landlord can discuss it with dhcr. the dhcr fact sheet says that all repairs must be at the landlords expense
i believe that the application i send to dhcr after the 10 days is an application for a rent reduction based on reduction in services. i don't know how this works but i am guessing that the threat of rent reduction will make them do the repairs.
one thing the wife may do is accuse me of deliberately arranging for a rent reduction "when you knew the refrigerator works fine". know what i mean. plus the super just defrosted the fridge yesterday so its going to be some time before it starts leaking and over frosting. maybe i should wait a little while?
I have always felt that the City's listing a fridge, a stove, or an air conditioner as a capital improvement. They are just disposable appliances, like a toaster, a coffee pot or a microwave.
I lived a long time in what they billed as "luxury" and when the fridge or an AC broke down you got a new GE...it was considered a tenant's entitlement.
This nickel and diming crap that NYC landlords pull with this "capital improvement" claim is preposterous.
(BTW, there are places that sell functional used refrigerators all over the city...all for under $100. So no landlord should be able to get away with "I can't find a used one." He probably has 5 of them in the basement.)
But rlrl,
You have my sympathy because I spent 17 years with a truly miserable bastard for a landlord. If I were religious I would pray for a special level of Hell for them all.
I moved in and there was no fridge at all. I bought my own and used it for 15 years...and then tossed it for a really nice one. I even exterminated my own apartment and my neighbors. I bought a chest freezer.
I never complained because I had a rent controledl apartment that got relatively cheaper and cheaper and cheaper.
I wouldn't let him or his super in to do ANYTHING because they broke everything they touched...a bunch of friggen MORONS.
I moved out when the neighborhood deteriorated.
If I can offer ONE bit of advice: Deal with him and his wife as little as possible...a rotten landlord can drain your soul if you let him.
Last edited by Kefir King; 10-26-2012 at 07:11 AM..
You have a lease and you pay your rent. You don't have to CHOOSE anything you say to your landlord. He isn't doing you a favor by 'letting' you live there. You're paying the rent which gives you the RIGHT to live there. I agree with another poster who said to buy your own fridge and let it be known that you'll be taking it with you whenever you leave.
as a tenant you have the right to a repair or a refurb free of charge but a new one will cost me added rent. they will whine to me that it can't be repaired or that they don't have a refurb but going thru dhcr will force dhcr to get in contact with the landlord and the landlord can discuss it with dhcr. the dhcr fact sheet says that all repairs must be at the landlords expense
i believe that the application i send to dhcr after the 10 days is an application for a rent reduction based on reduction in services. i don't know how this works but i am guessing that the threat of rent reduction will make them do the repairs.
one thing the wife may do is accuse me of deliberately arranging for a rent reduction "when you knew the refrigerator works fine". know what i mean. plus the super just defrosted the fridge yesterday so its going to be some time before it starts leaking and over frosting. maybe i should wait a little while?
why is the super doing that, YOU should be doing that.
If the apartment was supplied with a frost-free refrigerator, which I believe is what rlrl has in his unit, then it is malfunctioning if it frosts, regardless as to what refrigerators may have done in years past. Also, I believe that he has stated that he cannot just buy his own refrigerator, per his lease. If you change appliances and the landlord does not like them, they can pursue damages in addition to demanding an appliance of their choice, especially if there was a problem with an install that caused another problem.
A tenant does not have the right to throw out the landlord's property and then to take the replacement with them when they leave, so how exactly is this situation supposed to not violate the terms of the lease? rlrl does not own the property, and since the refrigerator was supplied with it, it is the property of the landlord whose use, maintenance, and repair is governed by the lease agreement, and he absolutely must adhere to that guideline to resolve the issue. Had this been an apartment where the refrigerator was not supplied, sure, he could go out and buy a new one, but that's not the case.
So, recommending replacing the refrigerator will not end the situation, and could cause a problem. If you think it won't, guess again. Many landlords I know with multi-unit buildings buy the same refrigerators for all apartments for a reason, because they either have a stock of parts, or they have a repairman who knows that particular brand/model. Some landlords have just moved on to separate fridge/freezers as the stock of 1940s/1950s apartment refrigerators for commercial customers seems to have been depleted. And, if you then take a replacement refrigerator when you move, leaving the unit without one, that will be grounds for keeping the security deposit, in addition to opening up the likelihood of a lawsuit for the cost of a replacement refrigerator and installation.
Just saying he should buy a new refrigerator without giving the landlord the option to repair/replace, and securing the consent of the housing office, is really not appropriate advice in this particular situation. Moreover, the landlord, or their designated agent (super or repairman) is the person to whom remediation the malfunction, including removing the frost, falls, as it is not the tenant's problem to solve because it is not their personal property that is malfunctioning.
You can negotiate with the landlord for them to grant permission for you to replace the appliance, but I can guarantee that it will not be easy to tell them that you own the refrigerator and will be removing it, without securing an identical replacement to the one you are discarding, at the point when you plan to move.
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All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players: they have their exits and their entrances; and one man in his time plays many parts, his acts being seven ages.
~William Shakespeare (As You Like It Act II, Scene VII)
nightcrawler i should not have to stay home from work or even do this on w weekend. its ridiculous to have to mop up water with a rag and tho it sounds trite, that water is plentiful and it can spill and cause water damage. and it takes too long. it's not a simple task. and i take an injectible for Diabetes i had to store the needles in an office fridge and then bring them back. this is no way to live
refusing to defrost a fridge that is defective and makes you miss work does not indicate a problem with a tenant. the only problem with me is i haven't written the landlord yet which has caused all this trouble
at my old place frost happened once in the 14 years i lived there. the super removed the chunk without having to unplug the fridge for an entire day and no other leakage. he dumped the frost into my kitchen sink and that was the end of it
nightcrawler i should not have to stay home from work or even do this on w weekend. its ridiculous to have to mop up water with a rag and tho it sounds trite, that water is plentiful and it can spill and cause water damage. and it takes too long. it's not a simple task. and i take an injectible for Diabetes i had to store the needles in an office fridge and then bring them back. this is no way to live
refusing to defrost a fridge that is defective and makes you miss work does not indicate a problem with a tenant. the only problem with me is i haven't written the landlord yet which has caused all this trouble
at my old place frost happened once in the 14 years i lived there. the super removed the chunk without having to unplug the fridge for an entire day and no other leakage. he dumped the frost into my kitchen sink and that was the end of it
oh you poor thing, you have to stay home from work to defrost a fridge???? your kidding me.
I can defrost a fridge while i am cooking dinner at night. please !! spare me the drama
if the freaking thing is leaking that bad and it needs to be repaired just freaking call someone and deduct it off the rent.
nothing worse than tenants that cant do a freaking thing.
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