Great location, layout, neighbors. Erratic landlord. Best for short term renters
Pros
Landlord responsive to issues about heat, appliances, fellow tenants. Lots of space. Nice layout. Free laundry in the basement is a great perk. Good appliances. Fantastic street with a great location and block association . Lively block parties.
Cons
Common spaces (entryway, garbage, laundry room and basement) not kept neat. Lots of mice with shoddy construction allowing for holes in outlets, under sink, behind appliances for mice to get in. You can hear mice in the walls when in the bathroom or trying to sleep. Warned by street neighbors that landlord does not like to keep tenants for more than 12-18 months. Turned out to be true. He makes cosmetic improvements to space between tenants, but not quality, and need to be updated frequently. So, when you see the place you think it looks good, but after living there a few months, problems start. Lights flicker. Electricals go dead - not overloaded. Just plug in something one day and that circuit is dead. Leaks in ceilings with hard rain. Molding only glued on will start to separate or fall off. Has directed a rain gutter to empty into foundation so the foundation is shifting and floors are starting to sink in places, tiles cracking in less than a year. But the worst is not any of that. The landlord seems quirky at first but over time he starts to become unprofessional and paranoid. He is very clear he does not want tenants to stay for long because he ‘doesn’t want to lose opportunities’ by jacking up rent between tenants and will tell you so. If a tenant offers to pay for a significant increase, he still is not satisfied because, as he will share, he does not like long term tenants. Loudly. He yells at tenants for asking questions and has a strange notion that he is doing you a favor for providing you a service you’ve paid for. He will share his admiration of Trump, passionately and with no seeming connection to whatever you are speaking about. He wants immediate responses to his texts and if you don’t respond immediately (you’re at work, or socializing or just don’t feel like responding to your landlord immediately) he begins to call and leave messages on all you and your fellow tenants in that unit’s phones until you call back, accusing you of pretending to be busy. The erratic behavior and less than quality work for the high cost of the rent doesn’t sound so bad at first. Just typical NYC nonsense. But, after having had a few landlords, I can assure you, when you’re in it, it feels terrible and can make you feel insecure in your home. Think twice about moving here unless you only plan to be here short term and are good at ignoring this sort of behavior.
Advice to the owners
Hire a full time liaison - super or someone else- to be the person who tenants communicate with. Hire and utilize licensed and professional electricians, builders, etc. be transparent with prospective tenants that this is not the building for people who prefer to stay in an apartment for more than a year.
Wonderful huge 3BR on a sunny tree-lined street
Pros
Huge! Friendly neighbors. Beautiful street
Cons
Not much natural light in the living room
Advice to the owners
Keep up the great work!
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