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Old 12-20-2020, 11:06 AM
 
30 posts, read 51,087 times
Reputation: 24

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I live in NYC ..Brooklyn to be exact with a section 8 voucher .It took me close to two years to save up the money I needed to move into a private house in Brooklyn! (There's security deposit and broker's fee which is 6k alone and I paid cash for both)

So I moved into this private family house and was given the upstairs apartment .There are other tenants one on the first floor and one in the basement . Ive been living here since August...Its me and my two teenaged children.

The number one issue is the landlord is ALWAYS here.She does not live here but she's here at the hospital every day or every other day and is constantly in my apartment for one reason or another.She needs to "fix" something constantly or have to come in to "check"something every other day.At first I thought hmm maybe this is what private landlords are like and just lived with it .

However when she is here she is always walking around turning off every light in the goddamn apartment even at night.I had the ceiling fan on in my kitchen and she became extremely irate about it...she told me to turn it off one day and i did but when she left I turned it back on next day she shows up again and it was on...she got real snippy about it.

A few days ago she came by and complained about us using space heaters when the house is cold.

The next issue is random noise complaints...we leave the apartment ONCE a day on average maybe 3 or 4 times a week.The landlord called me and told me the downstairs neighbor said were walking down the stairs too loudly and to please be quieter.We walk down the steps normally!! No one is playing or running down the steps and again we leave the house once a day...is that really complaint worthy?

Ive gotten several more calls about noises....typically were all in our own little corners of the apartment on our electronic devices minding our business but this lady has said the downstairs neighbor said they heard furniture throwing and fighting...WTF? I just paid 4k cash for my furniture who the hell is throwing furniture? My teens are boy/girl they dont fight eachother! The landlord even told me they were about to call the cops on us because if the fighting! WTF? Me and my kids all looked at eachother like WTH?

So I have a slipped disc in my back and my daughter is gone and its only me and my son at home...It's 3:30 in the afternoon ive been laying stationary all day long and my son is in my room on the desktop and after two hours he pushes the chair back and stands up to leave and we hear the downstairs neighbor banging on our ceiling....and we were like WTF? So my son stomped the floor back and he banged the ceiling some more and at that point i got VERY angry...we cant make normal household noise in this apartment? So i sent the landlord a text message about it and she said there will be a meeting the next morning...

At the meeting her and her husband said they get alot of complaints about me and my kids being noisy and at that point i had to laugh to keep from going ballistic because were literally quiet all the time! I dont even own a stereo because i dont want to be a noisy neighbor.I wont even workout at night because I figured the movement in the livingroom would bother the downstairs neighbor...we rarely watch tv because were all in bed on our devices unless we have a family movie night like once a month ...so what noise?! Us walking in our apartment to use the bathroom or cook a meal while talking and laughing about our day?

What noise?!

So the downstairs tenant is complaining about average everyday noises....and the landlord took his side he and she would barely even let me speak so i got angry and started cursing them out and said WTF so i can pay rent here but I cant LIVE here?! I have to tip toe around my apartment ,tiptoe down the ****ing stairs and basically be non existent for someone else's comfort?! Im also being threatened by having the cops called on me.for noise **** that you know what im not being considerate anymore! Were going to LIVE here and be comfortable and if you bang on my ceiling again i will get clogs and we will riverdance all night over your goddamn head ,we will bodyslam eachother all over this goddamn apartment and if you call the cops i will stomp all goddamn night and there's nothing you can do about it.

The landlords got mad at me while the downstairs neighbor played coy like im just a huge troublemaker.

The walls are thin! That is not my problem.I hear his tv in my bedroom all day and night and i dont say anything.He blasted music in my daughter's bedroom all night multiple times this summer and i told my daughter its okay he's just enjoying himself and let her sleep in my room.where its quiet...never not once did i call the landlord and make any complaints.

So after that heated exchange....an hour later landlord calls and has to "check "the radiators in my son's bedroom ...so once again they are in my apartment for no goddamn good reason and two hours later landlord calls my phone and tells me im burning up the electricity in .y apartment like crazy says she got a con ed bill for my apartment for $506 and i must be leaving everything on all day and night and she said im going to text you a picture of the bill and i said okay...no text message was sent with the bill.(all utilities are included with this apartment)

I feel like im being harassed and i literally don't do anything to anyone.

Besides the harassment its a lovely apartment...very big ,spacious and beautiful.Im full of anxiety now because it took me so long to save up the money to move in here and there's no way they are renewing the lease and it takes SO long to find an apartment in NYC especially Brooklyn!I moved to this area because im finishing up my degree and i took this year off because of covid because there is no way i would've been able to do an internship with all of this going on.So if they dont renew the lease ill be basically homeless until i find another place and i dont want to spend another 6k to move to another place that will most likely be far from my school.

Did i also mention how there's a driveway here and they refuse to let anyone use it! Anytime a car is parked in the driveway they send a mass text saying whoever is parked have to move there car or it will be towed....so we have a driveway that has to sit empty all the time...just so stupid and annoying...

Im stressed out..im mostly worried about them not renewing the lease and me being forced to move out with limited funds with my children.
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Old 12-20-2020, 11:22 AM
 
30 posts, read 51,087 times
Reputation: 24
This is also just my theory...

Ive heard the landlord and the downstairs neighbors talk often/laughing etc.I believe she knows them well or they are family members.I definitely know the downstairs neighbors and the tenants in the basement know eachother and are friends.I think they know Im using a section 8 voucher and they have other family members and wants me thrown out so they can have their family members move in.

During the meeting I asked him if were being noisy which were not but if were being noisy why do you keep calling the landlord instead of just knocking on my damn door? The downstairs neighbor said no i dont know you and the landlord said if they think a crime is going on its best to call them and the police..I said wtf..what crime?! They said the furniture throwing and fighting ...i started laughing i said you know this sounds crazy right...i know you all have eyes...the only people in this apartment is me and my two kids whose fighting who? Why wouldn't you knock on my door as a downstairs neighbor?

It sounds so damn crazy to me..I lived in two other places in Brooklyn and me and my neighbors never hesitated to knock on eachother's door for whatever reason...knock knock knock...were neighbors! This is a 2 family house why wouldn't you want to know who the hell you're living under?

When I moved in I thought it was very odd/rude that they didnt introduce themselves at all..i even knocked on their door shortly after moving in to say hello my name is bella and im your neighbor etc. They never answered the door and pretty much ignore us.

So yes i think the constant calling is a way to make me.look bad so they can get their family members in to take this apartment...just my theory
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Old 12-20-2020, 11:39 AM
 
Location: North Idaho
32,539 posts, read 47,619,487 times
Reputation: 77944
Perhaps you could summarize that. I'm sure your story could be fit into a lot fewer words.
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Old 12-20-2020, 12:29 PM
 
Location: Kansas City North
6,801 posts, read 11,445,114 times
Reputation: 17024
For starters, what does your lease say about required notice for landlord to enter your apartment?

Is there anything in the lease about parking/the driveway?
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Old 12-20-2020, 12:38 PM
 
856 posts, read 430,841 times
Reputation: 2335
People don’t look to find trouble with tenants. Something is going on. You must have different opinions as to what are normal noise and electric use. I’d suggest asking your landlord for a refund of your deposit and unused rent if you leave promptly and voluntarily. Apparently this is not a good fit.
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Old 12-20-2020, 12:59 PM
 
828 posts, read 410,532 times
Reputation: 1148
Yes, dont plan on your lease being renewed.

Chances are no insulation between the floors. Not your fault. First encourage them to call the police if they think the noise is not normal. Tell them that is what they should do.

Better for you to document the police have come by and did not hear a problem. If 2 cops show up ask one to go back downstairs. Have you move a chair like you said. And ask them to listen if doing anything wrong.
I would notify the LL by certified mail that they are not allowing you your privacy with the constant visits. And you feel it is not safe during covid 19 times. Also you require 24 hours notice before a visit unless an emergency. And to limit non emergency visits to once a month. If they refuse a court would allow you to move and collect moving expenses.
How do they know it is you causing the coned bill to go up? Usually one bill for the whole house. Try to document everything. Most LL's are fair. These are not and good chance you will have to take them to court to get your deposit back.

Either way this is not going to work out.
.
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Old 12-20-2020, 01:06 PM
 
2,634 posts, read 2,657,137 times
Reputation: 6512
Quote:
Originally Posted by Okey Dokie View Post
For starters, what does your lease say about required notice for landlord to enter your apartment?
Is there anything in the lease about parking/the driveway?
That’s the first thing I thought of. Read through the lease, if it says 24 hour notice, then start making them wait 24 hours. As for noise, tell them to call the police. Once the police get called a few times for nothing, they’re going to start brushing off the continuous noise complaint calls.
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Old 12-20-2020, 01:20 PM
 
Location: On the phone
1,223 posts, read 627,128 times
Reputation: 2425
I agree with the above post. No reason for LL to ask for access to your home every few days. Also a house will be less insulated then an apartment, and if the upstairs tenant is wearing shoes the downstairs tenant will hear every footstep. I lived in a 2 family house in Brooklyn.

Good luck, I hope you find a better place.
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Old 12-20-2020, 01:22 PM
 
30 posts, read 51,087 times
Reputation: 24
Quote:
Originally Posted by Joylush View Post
People don’t look to find trouble with tenants. Something is going on. You must have different opinions as to what are normal noise and electric use. I’d suggest asking your landlord for a refund of your deposit and unused rent if you leave promptly and voluntarily. Apparently this is not a good fit.
Im using a section 8 voucher I cant just up and move voluntarily.I do want to get a head start on moving though so around June I will start looking for other places .This has not been a good experience with a private landlord I may look for a multi apartment dwelling until i finish school .
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Old 12-20-2020, 01:30 PM
 
30 posts, read 51,087 times
Reputation: 24
Quote:
Originally Posted by Steve19605 View Post
Yes, dont plan on your lease being renewed.

Chances are no insulation between the floors. Not your fault. First encourage them to call the police if they think the noise is not normal. Tell them that is what they should do.

Better for you to document the police have come by and did not hear a problem. If 2 cops show up ask one to go back downstairs. Have you move a chair like you said. And ask them to listen if doing anything wrong.
I would notify the LL by certified mail that they are not allowing you your privacy with the constant visits. And you feel it is not safe during covid 19 times. Also you require 24 hours notice before a visit unless an emergency. And to limit non emergency visits to once a month. If they refuse a court would allow you to move and collect moving expenses.
How do they know it is you causing the coned bill to go up? Usually one bill for the whole house. Try to document everything. Most LL's are fair. These are not and good chance you will have to take them to court to get your deposit back.

Either way this is not going to work out.
.
I honestly dont know how/why they pinpointed me as the culprit...she said my apartment alone was $506 which makes zero sense because as anal as she is about electricity use if she could separate the apartment utilities she would just have us pay our own seperate energy bills.She also said she would send me a picture of the bill and she didnt send it so im guessing that was a scare tactic and the whole house bill was $506.

Within weeks of moving in she also accused me of not recycling properly and causing them to get fines.She sent a nasty text saying im not taking the recycling rules seriously and they are getting fines and sent me a picture of a bag of garbage with food bottles in it that didnt belong to me.I text her back that it was not my garbage i never ate or drank that than she said sorry but i didnt buy her apology at all...I dont use her trashcans AT ALL anymore I take my own trash and recycling out and surprise surprise....zero violations

She has two other families living here and she automatically blamed me
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