Management Basics

Follow Four Tips to Prepare Boiler for Heating Season

October 10, 2012    
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. and...
Landlord v. Tenant

Landlord v. Tenant: October 2012

October 10, 2012    
Discrimination: Landlord Discriminated Based on Sexual Orientation Tenant complained to the state Division of Human Rights (DHR) of housing discrimination based on sexual orientation. The DHR ruled for tenant, awarded damages and fines, and then sued landlord to enforce its judgment. The court...
Feature

How to Handle Unsafe Facade Conditions Caused by Tenants

August 31, 2012    
Tenants can cause unsafe conditions on your building's façade, especially during the summer months. Tenants may start placing items on the window ledge, such as plants and flowers, for the sun exposure. Tenants may attach something to the façade itself, such as a clothesline to take advantage...
Dos & Don'ts

Follow Proper Procedures for "No-Access" Inspection

August 30, 2012    
Be sure to follow the correct procedures to trigger a “no-access inspection.” By law, you're required to send two letters by certified mail, return receipt requested, at least eight days in advance of a proposed access date, before seeking a no-access inspection.
In the News

Defeating Overcharge Claims After Grimm Decision

August 30, 2012    
Don't wait till you're hit with a rent overcharge complaint to get your old lease files in order. That's the advice of New York City attorney Erez Glambosky, who warns, “Since the 2010 Court of Appeals decision in Grimm v. DHCR, if a tenant submits a ‘colorable claim of...
Dos & Don'ts

Don't Block Access to Water Meters

August 30, 2012    
The Environmental Control Board (ECB) recently ruled that an owner could be fined for failing to maintain a water meter in a readily accessible area. Furthermore, the rules don't require the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) to give an owner prior notice that a water meter will be...
Landlord v. Tenant

Landlord v. Tenant

August 30, 2012    
Discrimination: Landlord Discriminated Against Wheelchair-Bound Tenant Disabled tenants, a couple, complained to the local Human Rights Commission (HRC) about landlord's disability discrimination. Tenants said that landlord refused to accommodate their disabilities, repeatedly stating that he...