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[personal profile] ceebeegee
*Sigh*

I just got my lease renewal form, and the management company jacked up the rent quite a bit. Since I was told when I signed the lease last June that the rent increase would be only "a little bit" (7% is not a little bit), now I'm trying to find out if the building is considered rent-stabilized. I know what the criteria are: generally speaking, an apartment that rents for under $2000/month is rent-stabilized, and they can only increase rent according to a formula (something like 2-4% for a 1-year lease). However my lease snuck in a phrase about how this apartment was considered "free market" which I think is how they're going to try to justify such a hike in rent. I called up 311 to ask questions like: well, number 1, is this building considered rent-stabilized? And 2) even if I sign a lease saying "free market," am I allowed to sign away my rights like that? I mean, I honestly don't know. I'd think either an a apartment's rent-stabilized or it's not--my signing a paper that says it's not should have nothing to do with it. The whole point of rent-stabilization is to circumvent the landlords who want to hike the rents as much as possible. I have witnesses that the manager promised me a rent increase of "a little bit," for whatever that's worth.

Anway so I'm talking to this guy on the other end who doesn't seem quite professional. I explain the situation to him, and said "first off, I'd like to find out if this building is considered rent-stabilized." There's a long pause and then he say "my computer is verra slow today." I said "Uh...so what does that mean?" He said "It's verra slow and it's taking a long time." "And...? Can you transfer me to someone else then?" "No, dis is a dedeecated lahn." "Uh...okay, so should I call back? What exactly are you saying?" "I jus' mean, it's going to tehk a long tahm." THEN SAY THAT IN THE FIRST PLACE! Good Lord. Anyway, he looked up my building and said that it wasn't "listed" or "registered"--he said it's nowhere in the sytem, either as rent-stabilized or as free-market. He did say, however, there are a number of over-charge complaints pending on the building...hmmm. So he's going to send me some application or something like that so I can write somewhere else to pursue this. For God's sake. I asked him to fax it, saying time is of the essence, since I have to turn in the new lease in a few eeks (they didn't even give it to me until Friday) but he insisted he couldn't.

*Sigh* I hate shit like this. Look guys, if I'd know you were going to hike the rent, I would've moved somewhere else. The people who are moving into that neighborhood are all starving artists and student--we can't afford 7% rent increases. We moved there for the cheap rents in the first place. I don't want to move. I like my apartment. Jesus Christ. I'm so fucking sick of greedy grubby assholes.

Date: 2007-06-11 09:46 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] wonderpanther.livejournal.com
I do not know how this all works but you can certaibly delay signing the lease by starting some sort of formal complaint procedure. Likely, there is a citizen's action group of some sort that can help you out and give you information. The key is generally that you need to put the $ that you would be paying for rent in some account until the dispute is resolved. I do not know this area of the law but generally you can delay things while pursuing your legal options. I would look for a citizen action group to help yourself out.

Date: 2007-06-11 11:09 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] wonderpanther.livejournal.com
Unrelated pick me up for you: my friend Brian was visiting with me this weekend and he looked through the pictures from my grad party (I put them in an album) because he could not be there. He saw the picture Jason took of you and aske, "Who's that?" He expressed that you are very pretty.

Date: 2007-06-12 02:50 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] ceebeegee.livejournal.com
How sweet! What a nice thing to say :)

Thanks, I needed that pick-me-up! I'm dreading wading into this rent thing. I don't *want* to move...I love this apartment...

Date: 2007-06-12 12:15 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] neoscribe.livejournal.com
Man, didn't you just move in there? WOW. It's been a year already? Where does the time go?
Forgive me, I have been in a haze since X-Mas...

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