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Old 07-10-2019, 04:37 PM
 
1,927 posts, read 1,892,166 times
Reputation: 4760

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Quote:
Originally Posted by GeraldTheGnome View Post
Illegal apartments do not merit landlord protection.

And illegal tenants do?

For if the apartment was illegal, so was the tenant.
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Old 07-11-2019, 09:29 PM
 
Location: NY
15,997 posts, read 6,754,887 times
Reputation: 12131
Quote:
Originally Posted by throawaytenant9000 View Post
Throwaway for reasons, this is happening in NYC.

At this moment I'm a week away of moving out of my ****hole cellar-apartment because my landlady served me a crappy eviction letter saying I have to move out by the 8th of July.

* We know this is an illegal apartment at the moment. We didn't know before but now we do.

I want her to pay for my moving expenses, damages and harrasment. I want her to pay the steep fines (Upwards of $18k) of not providing a safe space for tenants. We didn't know anything about housing regulations and occupancy and all that. We have the mortgage and housing deed stating this is a cellar.

Opinion:
Home owners ......Be warned!
This is an example of how a basement renter thinks today.
Basements in New York are illegal to rent. Any fool knows this.
It is gutter rats like this that infest and ruin the good name of neighborhoods.
It is not like years ago where owners helped struggling folks get a leg up in life.
People like this are cunning and feast on the elderly homeowners
using the law to their advantage hoping to land a small fortune for themselves.
A basement apartment usually is rented to one who doesn't have two coins to rub together.
Do not ever rent a basement apartment to anyone,even if cradling an infant and begging on their knees.
Since the city is out to protect the tenant and screw the landlord rather than backing him,
let the city stick them in housing projects or homeless shelters. The bodies will start piling up soon.
It is the city's problem to house the wretched, not you. Good Riddance ........

Last edited by Mr.Retired; 07-11-2019 at 09:43 PM..
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Old 07-11-2019, 10:35 PM
 
Location: New York, NY
6,668 posts, read 5,977,942 times
Reputation: 5913
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr.Retired View Post
Opinion:
Home owners ......Be warned!
This is an example of how a basement renter thinks today.
Basements in New York are illegal to rent. Any fool knows this.
It is gutter rats like this that infest and ruin the good name of neighborhoods.
It is not like years ago where owners helped struggling folks get a leg up in life.
People like this are cunning and feast on the elderly homeowners
using the law to their advantage hoping to land a small fortune for themselves.
A basement apartment usually is rented to one who doesn't have two coins to rub together.
Do not ever rent a basement apartment to anyone,even if cradling an infant and begging on their knees.
Since the city is out to protect the tenant and screw the landlord rather than backing him,
let the city stick them in housing projects or homeless shelters. The bodies will start piling up soon.
It is the city's problem to house the wretched, not you. Good Riddance ........
It’s sad it’s come to this. I have family who’d say the same about renting to section 8 folks as well. Total disregard for property
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Old 07-12-2019, 05:17 AM
 
Location: NY
204 posts, read 634,153 times
Reputation: 76
I have people begging me that their credit score won't be a problem, they will pay rent and they will be good tenant. If it takes one or two months to evict, it might have been ok to take a chance on these people and get it over with if it turns badly but given the nasty protection city/state/fed have given these tenants, any singular mistake will cost you not only tens of thousands in lost rental revenue but also thousands in lawyer costs. Tenants will only have these laws and politicians to blame on tighter rent conditions. What's sad is that this really hurts the good people that just needed a break and an understanding landlord but it's impossible to overlook the deep trouble in you in every time you screen incorrectly. You can't make decisions based on your gut any more, you have to do it using every and all resources to make sure you don't make that one mistake.
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Old 07-12-2019, 09:28 AM
 
6,074 posts, read 4,439,241 times
Reputation: 13623
If the apartment wasn't legal, the landlord deserves whatever they get. This one already got a bunch of rent money they didn't deserve.
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Old 07-12-2019, 03:43 PM
 
1,952 posts, read 1,290,655 times
Reputation: 2489
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr.Retired View Post
Opinion:
Home owners ......Be warned!
This is an example of how a basement renter thinks today.
Basements in New York are illegal to rent. Any fool knows this.
It is gutter rats like this that infest and ruin the good name of neighborhoods.
It is not like years ago where owners helped struggling folks get a leg up in life.
People like this are cunning and feast on the elderly homeowners
using the law to their advantage hoping to land a small fortune for themselves.
A basement apartment usually is rented to one who doesn't have two coins to rub together.
Do not ever rent a basement apartment to anyone,even if cradling an infant and begging on their knees.
Since the city is out to protect the tenant and screw the landlord rather than backing him,
let the city stick them in housing projects or homeless shelters. The bodies will start piling up soon.
It is the city's problem to house the wretched, not you. Good Riddance ........

Our homes have pretty large basements. One basment has 7 Windows. The other 8 ft ceilings, front and back doors and wonderful natural light . They are both beautifully renovated. My dog hangs out in the basment of our primary home because it is cool and he has space to run around with his balls and toys. The other one is used to store extra stuff. We constantly get asked to rent our basement. That's a big no for me. I don't need the headache.

Only about 3 houses on the entire block with rented basement. 2 stopped after problem tenants.

Finding affordable apartments will only get worse.

Now the city is allowing some homeowners in Brooklyn to legalize their basment for renting.

Many home owners with paid off homes won't bite. They will likely legalize their basment but not rent it.

Last edited by LOVEROFNYC; 07-12-2019 at 03:54 PM..
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Old 07-12-2019, 03:54 PM
 
1,952 posts, read 1,290,655 times
Reputation: 2489
Many basements will be legalized. The same one that unscrupulous tenants sought to make the landlords' lives hell with the backing of govt and courts. The few who will rent will charge market rate rent and strictly screen their tenants. The city is obviously unable to provide and properly run and maintain affordable apartments. But has bolstered tenants to create ill will.

The city will collect more taxes. The private property owners' home value will increase. Rents will still be high and apartments hard to come by

The good tenants will suffer. The bad tenants will suffer even more.
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Old 07-12-2019, 04:25 PM
 
15,800 posts, read 14,409,875 times
Reputation: 11861
Not dealing with zoning issues, just building code, a lot of basement apartments are fire traps, and have other physical reasons they shouldn't be habitable. The city may let go of the zoning issues. But I have a hard time thinking they'll let people live in unsafe units. And bringing them up to code might be costly.

Quote:
Originally Posted by LOVEROFNYC View Post
Many basements will be legalized. The same one that unscrupulous tenants sought to make the landlords' lives hell with the backing of govt and courts. The few who will rent will charge market rate rent and strictly screen their tenants. The city is obviously unable to provide and properly run and maintain affordable apartments. But has bolstered tenants to create ill will.

The city will collect more taxes. The private property owners' home value will increase. Rents will still be high and apartments hard to come by

The good tenants will suffer. The bad tenants will suffer even more.
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Old 07-12-2019, 05:20 PM
 
1,952 posts, read 1,290,655 times
Reputation: 2489
Quote:
Originally Posted by BBMW View Post
Not dealing with zoning issues, just building code, a lot of basement apartments are fire traps, and have other physical reasons they shouldn't be habitable. The city may let go of the zoning issues. But I have a hard time thinking they'll let people live in unsafe units. And bringing them up to code might be costly.

https://www1.nyc.gov/office-of-the-m...rk-legislation


This is the second time in recent memory that I know of the city offering such a program to legalize basements.

My ex landlord and my uncle has the exact same house. In fact my ex-landlord's was in a better location and condition (renovated and upkeep). The city offered the same basement legalization program years ago. A lot of single and two family homeowners jumped at the chance. Single family became 'two family' and two family became 'three family'. Basements were recognized as separate units. The catch was that your property taxes went up. Not by a whole lot. But Brooklyn was still Baghdad back then and a lot of homeowners were barely holding on to their home. They couldn't afford the extra $2000 or so yearly in taxes. Many did not jump on the chance to legalize.

Now Brooklyn has gentrified, people are understanding property values more. More people will jump at the chance to legalize their basement. Also they don't have to do things like installing sprinklers and wheelchair ramps like new construction/conversion of three family or more units. They just have to ensure the safety standards like half of the basement above curb level, minimum window size, ceiling heights and means of egress. They would need to pull the permits to add a legal bathroom and kitchen. But your property value goes up $150k to $300K with the additional unit created by basement legalization.

My landlord didn't legalize her basement, my uncle did. He bought his house when he was a cab driver and banks were more forgiving with their lending standards in terms of paper work required. I rented the exact apartment (square footage and layout) from my landlord for $600 (then the rent was raised to $800 which was still vey affordable!) all utilities included. My uncle rented his for $9000 (then $1000). Unbeknownst to my uncle's tenant she and her grown son thought that they were living in an illegal basement so two adults decided they would live for a few months rent free. It took him a few months to evict them but he did. He retired from a well paying unionized job and paid of his house 2 years ago. He no longer rents his 'basement'. The son tried to stay on as a tenant claiming he did not know the mom wasn't paying.
Tough cookie. Now rents are much more and you have an eviction on your rental history.

My landlord also no longer rents her basement.

The courts, govt and bad tenants have greatly contributed to the lack of affordable apartments. Not remembering that the majority of renters rent from small private landlords who will eventually pay of their houses and not bother to rent or super screen their prospective tenants.

P.S My uncles house is worth over $200 K more than my ex landlord because he has a 'legal two family'. All because he took the time to legalize his basement

Last edited by LOVEROFNYC; 07-12-2019 at 05:44 PM..
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Old 07-12-2019, 05:42 PM
 
1,952 posts, read 1,290,655 times
Reputation: 2489
Quote:
Originally Posted by BBMW View Post
Not dealing with zoning issues, just building code, a lot of basement apartments are fire traps, and have other physical reasons they shouldn't be habitable. The city may let go of the zoning issues. But I have a hard time thinking they'll let people live in unsafe units. And bringing them up to code might be costly.


The city is offering low/no interest loan to entice home owners to bring it up to code. What many bottom feeders, bad tenants don't understand is that the powers that be are more interested in saying they governed a world class city that attracts the best, brightest and wealthiest (meaning they are not trying to be magnets for the indigent). This makes them look good on the national stage and post political career. They will 'pander' to appear as being the champion of the poor but they are not. This is why billions of dollars in tax breaks can be found to give to millionaire and billionaire property developers but you won't see the city breaking ground to build their own 'affordable apartments' for the working poor and homeless.

Do you not think the city could find money to build a few affordable apartments themselves and make it truly affordable. Look at how they run the projects? Hint: They more than can. They just spent $600K renovating a dog park and over $3 million for my neighborhood parks. These are just the ones I know of personally. I could have accomplished all three for under one million. For 2 million they could have easily built a 20 unit or more truly affordable apartment.

They give lip service and drive a wedge between small landlords and prospective good tenants. They say they have created the 'record number' of affordable apartments. They continue giving mega tax breaks to developers and businesses and throwing millions away on pet projects. Some tenants instead of saving their money and buying their time to owning or moving become a thorn in the landlord's side. Then the same apartment is 'legalized to promote affordable housing'. The city collects more taxes and housing is no more affordable.

These affordable housing threads shows just that.

I laugh at the people encouraging others to be ****ty tenants because they live in 'basements'. Those same basements will be legalized and become unaffordable and unavailable. Then they are jumping through hoops trying to win an unaffordable affordable apartment lol.
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