by Lilly F 
The rent is too damn high! We hear this phrase as a catch-all these days, ad nauseum, to describe New York City’s hostile housing situation. But cost of living in this city is no joke – the rent really is just too damn high for most of us. And there’s no end in sight, with rents averaging over $3,000 per month while the average income is dropping.
For some of us,…
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I live in a de-stabilized building on Greenpoint Avenue and the landlords are on their way to kicking everyone out in order to renovate and jack the rent. Because the building is destabilized, they can already raise my rent as much as they want, but decided to put me on a month-to-month lease (with am 8% rent increase). What this means is that I don’t know how long I have in my home, which has become a source of a great deal of anxiety. I wonder if every day when I return home, there will be a letter slipped in my door with my 30-day notice.
Luckily, there are resources here to help us, specifically The North Brooklyn Development Corporation (located on Huron Street). I met with an amazing representative there named Jack who explained to me my rights, the housing laws, and what I can do to stay or extend my stay in my apartment. Though I may not be able to stay in my apartment for as long as I want, there are ways for me to extend my lease (unfortunately, it may involve a court appearance).
It’s really heartbreaking to see what is going on in the neighborhood. The rents are becoming prohibitive. All we want is a place to live – is that too much to ask?
Lauren,
Buildings cannot be de-stabilized; rent regulation pertains to each apartment. You should speak with your local elected officials’ offices and a tenant attorney. Court appearances are a hassle, but consider it a good deed, because unscrupulous landlords are empowered by tenants who don’t fight back.
This article is great, but misses a critical point: The Assembly always passes tenant friendly bills. Tenants — including those who currently live in market-rate apartments — should help elect a Democratic majority the State Senate to finally expand rent regulation and other protections.
Join the Real Rent Reform campaign here: https://www.realrentreform.org/
And support NYS Senate Dems here:
https://newyorksenatedems.com/
In other words, more protections for people who already have tons of protection, and nothing for the rest of us.
Hmm, Greg “Finally, a bill to address the overall increasingly unreasonable cost of living in New York City has also been introduced, which would reduce the amount that landlords can increase a unit after a vacancy – the current law allows a 20% increase, where a 7.5% is seen as a more fair and reasonable amount.” would seem to provide something for “the rest of us.”
Thank you for this article.
“We need some laws on our side.”
This is a joke, right?