The time is approaching when you’ll need to get your heating system online for the upcoming cold weather. In New York City, heating season officially begins on Oct. 1. By law, owners are also required to provide tenants with heat under the following conditions: Between the hours of 6 a.m....
In our feature, we discussed one type of an illegal sublet: when a tenant rents out his or her apartment using short-term rental Web sites. But what happens when a tenant approaches you about a long-term rental agreement with another individual? In these situations, the tenant wants you to...
The Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR) has released the forms you need to register your rent-stabilized apartments for 2012. You must file an Annual Apartment Registration form [RR-2A (2012)] with the DHCR for every rent-stabilized apartment you own by July 31, 2012. As in past...
On Jan. 20, the DHCR issued new fuel cost adjustment factors for rent-controlled apartments for the 2012 calendar year. The findings indicate that all types of heating oil (#2, #4, #6), steam, and coal increased in price during the 2011 calendar year, while prices decreased for buildings heated...
Providing individual storage units to tenants is a popular amenity in the city. Extra storage space can also become an additional revenue stream by charging tenants for the use of the storage units. But renting storage units to tenants can also bring added hassles, such as the cost of building...
This year has been the first full year of implementation of the new boiler inspection rules. The new rules were signed into law in April 2010, and were fully implemented in May 2010. They pertain to low-pressure boiler inspections, filing requirements, penalties, and waivers. The 2011 inspection...
The Division of Housing and Community Renewal (DHCR) has just announced an increase in this year's air-conditioner rent surcharge for owners who pay for electricity. It set the monthly surcharge at $29.13, up from $26.83 last year. This year's increase reflects higher electricity costs...
Heating season is fast approaching, and we want to remind you of the temperatures you are legally required to maintain. Heat and hot water complaints probably will be the most common type of service complaint you will deal with this winter. According to statistics compiled by the Department of...
In the June 2010 issue, we wrote about the Department of Building's (DOB) increased attention to apartment balconies in New York City after the March death of a tenant who fell from a faulty 24th-floor terrace on East 39th Street. At the time of the announcement, DOB had declared the...
In late September, a Vietnam veteran was sitting with his dog outside his building on Second Avenue in the East Village when a 45-pound air conditioner fell from a sixth-floor window. The air conditioner bounced off of the first-floor commercial tenant's awning and landed on his head. After...
The city's Department of Sanitation (DOS) has a recycling program for Christmas trees and wreaths. It should make getting rid of trees and wreaths after the holiday much easier for you. The trees and wreaths may simply be put at curbside anytime on any day, on or after Monday, Jan. 3,...
Protecting tenants against domestic violence is a difficult problem many owners face. In some situations, you may be required to let a domestic violence victim out of her lease. In New York State, the tenantial lease termination bill was signed into law on June 4, 2007, and amended on Aug. 15,...
