(no subject)
Jun. 11th, 2007 03:24 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
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.
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.
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no subject
Date: 2007-06-11 11:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-06-12 02:50 am (UTC)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...