what's the going rent in the Bronx?

[Henna]

Originally Posted by Cazzy

I also thought I should mention this: The apartment I live in now was on the market for 7 MONTHS with no tenant. Know who lived in it? Her superintendent and he wasn't paying her a dime.

He got to live there 7 months free of charge by himself in a three bedroom she couldn't rent out because she was charging 1550 a month. Prospective tenants heard the price, turned tail and ran, I suppose.

My landlord lowered her basic charge to 1400 and I moved in. I didn't know that she's losing the building to the city. She's not giving hot water now and I happen to be looking for a new place to live because she's acting a bit..er...not in her right mind and I want out of the miserable situation.

I assume you have a family and that's why you need a 3-bedroom?

[Guywithacause]

If you believe $950 for a 3 bedroom in Morrisania is fair..why would you rent a 3 bedroom for $1,400? Furthermore, I am not surprised that the owner is losing the building, as operating costs to maintain a building, (repairs, heat, water, cleaning, taxes, insurance, etc) are typically higher than the rents you collect. So as you complain that rents are too high, the result is that the LL loses the building b/c he can't afford to keep it (that's why he is not giving hot water I am sure)...and ultimately you will likely lose your apt.

So before you claim the "death sentence" of rising rents, if you understood what it really costs to provide you with a home, you would see that $1,500 is fair market value, and oftentimes still not enough.

[Cazzy]

950 is fair for a person who works for a living and is a renter. It just isn't realistic. Fair and life in this world are two different things, wouldn't you agree? A lot of us are NOT landlords, so our full time job is NOT sitting back and waiting for others to pay us money. =)

I'm paying 1400 because there are NO fair rents out there. Landlords behave as if they are gods and the government supports that over-the-top attitude with the Section 8 system that allows Uncle Sam to pay LLs thousands for empty apartments while those of us who work for a living can't find a place because we can't compete with the government's bottomless pockets.

Operating costs are not why the landlord is losing her bldg; She is losing it, as I mentioned, because she is not providing her tenants with BASIC human comforts. She has not paid her mortgager, Con Edison or made repairs to a bad boiler according to court paperwork we have received.

Rental rates at my first apartment in 1981 were 200 dollars a month, 95 dollars at the place before that. Funny how you could maintain a property at that price 20 years ago. Today, people are expected to pay neary 2000 a month.

But the cost of living salary raises do not match the actual rising costs of living. While the US brags about feeding starving children in other countries, our own poverty and homeless rates are higher than ever.

You're right, Guywithacause..Rising rents aren't a death sentence..if you consider life in a cardbpard box living.

If you understood what the everyday man has to sacrifice in order to keep a roof over his and his family's head, you *might* see that 1500 is not a fair market value.

It's our future that is suffering, our children are raising themselves because two parents have to work JUST to pay the rent. And what of food and utilities..of actually seeing a little enjoyment for your 40 hours + of work?

Let's hope that life never you in a compromised financial position, like working for a middle income of about 30,000 a year or less.

I say if you really are unable to maintain a bldg up to legal code, then perhaps you aren't the type of person who should own property.

[Guywithacause]

Sounds like to me you are living in the wrong city. NYC is the wealthiest city in the country, in the wealthiest country in the world..and you are complaining about rent of $1,400!!! If you are looking for $900 rent, 95% of the rest of the country will meet your needs. If I am looking for a $30 pair of shoes, I do not shop at Saks or Coach..I go to Payless....why would I expect these retailers to accomodate me exactly? Of course they wouldn't....so why would you expect NYC to accomodate you at the price you feel is fair or just..based on what exactly? What you used to pay 30 years ago? What a joke! My grandfather used to pay a nickel to go to the movies and pay $10 in rent! So what!

I recommend looking outside of NYC..as you will find the rent/cost of living you desire.

[Moderate Guy]

The issue of housing costs will always be a volatile one - and one can understsnd both sides of the argument. Owners need to cover costs plus make a profit, renters need to minimize costs while getting decent, livable conditions for shelter.

Obviously these can be, by the very nature of human beings, inherently adversarial goals between owner and tenant. That's where governments - federal, state, city - intervene and through tax and other mechanisms are able to significantly affect housing. For example via rent stabalization, rent conrol, section 8, public housing, affordable housing programs, and the list goes on.

Unfortunately greed can also influence that market in a significant way where many owners have potential tenants bent over a barrel in high demand places like the five boroughs of NYC.

Tradeoffs are inevitable. Sometimes, you can't have that easy commute and the nice conveniences of being in Manhattan, Forest Hills, Riverdale, Williamsburg or Park Slope. Sometimes, you need to go way out and commute via bus then subway.

These are not easy decisions to make. The reality is that NYC will always be high priced for reasons we already all know. It's not always fair despite the best intentions of those in charge. The capitalist system, the way we practice it with government oversight, is the best but there are casualties.

If one cannot compete adequately for housing, one might even need to go upstate, to outlying states in the area, or even relocate to the Midwest or the South. Again, it's not easy to pick up and move when issues of family, jobs, etc., come into play.

These are all tough decisions. The alternatives - communist/socialist societies- have been tried and found sorely deficient in other parts of the world.

America is such a beautiful, God-blessd country that even with the housing and economic woes all around us, most of us are truly blessed. If one ever needs to move away for affordable housing, no matter where in the good old USA one ends up, there's always the possibilty to achieve a goal - homeownership, career advancement, educational benefits - that many in the world do not enjoy as an option.

[Guywithacause]

Agreed Miles.