A newer EVG reader writes:
I'm looking for a studio in the neighborhood, and don't want to make any mistakes with slumlords or anything like that...I've been through that already.
Are you familiar with some of the better, or more reputable, rental agencies/realtors in the East Village? Any words of wisdom on real estate agencies/realtors in the East Village with above-average reputations?
Hmm. Good question. It seems as if people know about some of more, uh, vilified landlords or real-estate companies... Anyone want to share any positive experiences with any particular landlord(s)? Maybe one on a quiet block!
[Corny image via Getty]
20 comments:
I hear that the landlords in Mayberry are just swell. I would try there first.
I guess there's no app for that huh?
Bettina Equities
Provident Management
http://www.manta.com/c/mm2xfjy/provident-management-corp
i'll second Provident. i'm in one of their buildings (e. 14th st between b and c) and I've had no problems.
Margo at HartDiamond helped us find a very nice one bedroom on Ave A a few years ago - even cut the broker's fee in half. A sweet lady.
P: (212) 725-2225
http://www.hartdiamond.com
good plus landlord..I don't think they go together much anymore..just sayin. But I will keep an open mind.
Herman Hewitt is tops in my book....
incidentally.. this whole idea has a TON of potential... to encourage good beahviour from landlords.. using RENTAL DOLLARS, not ineffectual archaic laws from corupted city agencies....
like a widely published "best landlords for rich newcomers" with a backpages of demonic slumlords to avoid at all costs (SUCH AS BEN SHAOUL). acts such as fraudulently evicting the elderly would have you blacklisted forever.. there could be a whole watchdog agency that monitors all this and like an email, paper mail, ansering machine or online version for renters to lodge complaints... measures like this are going to be essential to protect us from the evils of rapid gentrification.. right now ben shaoul and all the other scumlords are in cahouts, they publish circulars with tactics on how to drive out "dead wood" as they so revoltingly refer to elderly tenants in rent controlled apartments... such as depreving heat and electrcity and removing lights and starircases, fear tactics, psychological warefare, akll kinds of despicable ways to prey on the vulnerable yet venerable fabric of old new york, REAL new york... SCUM is the word.. sorry but the whole cabrini thing just makes me absolutely livid... would be great to try to strike back and turn the tables here.
POWER TO THE PEOPLE!
Bench rentals are going fast with Crusty Row a PRIME Hotspot....
Might wanna try the landlord for 71 1st ave - decent guy, the broker lives in the building too. Check streeteasy.com for the information
Ugh this is just reminding me of all the slimy brokers with YUNNIE's in tow, wearing their blue button down shirt and messenger backs and clipboards. I give 'em the stinkeye, new jack cornballs wit their random ass area code phone numbers. I can't deal with those mofuckas.
i have never had a problem with marolda properties. when there has been an issue in my apt (dirt due to construction above), they took care of it professionally and swiftly. that's all you can really ask for.
I've lived in a building owned by the Gambettas for years and they've been very good landlords.
I heard that Sidney Fields is a great landlord. One caveat, he does get rather upset when you play the radio.
I've dealt with Cooper Equites for years, and can never get anything fixed. The super is the dirtiest noisiest person in the building. They're as close to being slumlords as I've been, only rent control keeps me here. I do repairs myself and just eat it, just to save myself the frustration.
I agree with Edward, the Gambetta's are exellent landlords, but they do charge an arm and a leg for small places that appeal to students n dooshes, so there is still that insane price issue.
I'm impressed with this reader who will take the time to try to find someone to rent from that is ethical. If you find something I hope you'll let us know. Stick to your guns, it has to be worth the effort to take care about who you give that much of your paycheck to in return for an agreeable home life.
For about 3 weeks in 2003 I had a temp job as receptionist and administrator in the rental office of a very fancy rental building 2 blocks from WTC. The tenants were getting rent rebates from the LMDC which required paperwork to be submitted. This was at no cost to the landlord and enticed people to stay in their stupid building. They should have been appreciative but they thought it was stupid that tenants should get a rent reduction and the money didn't go to them directly. The internet wasn't yet handling things like this, still the age of paper and fax.
The building had many empty apartments, and they were offering a free month rent in addition to the LMDC rebates, which would normally mean that they should take care to keep the tenants they have because renting to new ones was expensive and difficult. But no. Every question I asked the managers when trying to help a tenant through some issue was answered with some form of "fuck them who cares."
I was nice to the tenants, helping them with the paperwork, helping them make their credit card payments for rent (a revelation to me, who knew that you could pay rent by Amex?!) etc. Nobody ever asked for anything unreasonable, the tenants were very polite and I had no problems at all with any of them.
It was actually a pretty pleasant job despite the obnoxious brokers coming and going who I didn't have to deal with except to collect faxes of lease applications and put them in a separate box but they had a swaggery idiocy about them. Often I had to ask people to wait patiently while their broker was late for his appointment to show an apartment. But once that lease was signed you never saw someone move so fast.
When the woman I was filling in for returned we had a day of overlap and she heard me talking to a tenant who had come in with their LMDC paperwork and asked the usual questions, and after 3 weeks there was no mystery to the answers, I just told him the same story I told everybody, not a difficult thing to do. After he left she scolded me harshly for being too nice. I should have told him to call LMDC directly, she said, and not answered his questions, even though they were simple answers to give. What horrible person wouldn't answer a question to someone when you know the answer? It was lunacy to me.
My conclusion is that what we experience from the landlord and their minions is a culture run by developers who are often independent entrepreneurs who have a wad of cash, but also invest a wad of cash continually and their cash flow can explode with the slightest disruption, which makes them edgy and paranoid. They are like gamblers always looking for the next pot of gold, which makes them quite unpleasant to be around and infects all who work for them.
I will not say they are 'good' but I lived in a Matel Realty bldg for many years and they were not terrible like some LLs are.
When I would call for repairs in the apt they would always have it taken care of (more or less). I lived in a stabilized apt and they did not try any outrageous tricks to force me out. When I moved I got my security deposit back with no problem.
One nice thing is that they seemed good about not forcing out the older (and often very frail) tenants who still had rent CONTROLLED (and so very low rent) apartments - although by the time I left these folks had all died out.
On the other hand, when people moved out they engaged in the common practice of doing crappy renovations using this as a pretext to outrageously jack up rents for new tenants. Despite these high rents they got worse over the years about keeping the common areas of the bldg. clean.
I am also speaking about the past, can't vouch that the way they were when I lived there still holds true.
If you want to avaoid a Shaoul building go to
occupyeastthstreet.blogspot.com
There is a map of all of Ben's properties.
Post a Comment