Posted by Dottie on March 29, 1997 at 07:18:31:
In Reply to: Re: vacancy decontrol posted by David on March 28, 1997 at 18:31:58:
: First of all, experience shows that most landlords cannot be trusted to do anything which concerns or will benefit your best interest (health and welfare); they are ONLY out to get "mo money, mo money, mo money"!
: If you are going to speak about persons who make over $150,000 per year (why did you jump to a "$249,999" income issue?!!!), then don't even waste your breath about this issue. The majority of the
: persons/tenants involved with needing the rent regulation are persons who make less than that and most of them make less than $30,000 per year!
: Now, you figure out what percentage of that person's income is going to rent if he/she pays $400 a month? $800 per month? $1,000 per month? Most people in New York City pay 50% of their monthly income
: to their monthly rent and that is already TOO MUCH. How can a person paying that percentage to rent, also pay for education, food, transportation to work, taxes, clothing in today's economy? What about trying to
: raise a family?
: Not only are the landlords blurring the reality of where the "norm" for rent levels should be, but they are also doing a great amount of unneccesary "renovations" of apartments, so they can get the special MONETARY benefits
: by saying,
: "we replaced all the walls" (even though they were sturdy, except for a couple of water damage places, and they had beautiful pre-war detail which many people are desparately looking for),
: "we replaced the building entrance and made it secure" (even though the entrance only needed to be repaired, and it was beautiful wrought-iron entrance that really gave the building and the neighbohood great character - part of the benefit
: of living in New York, so far), and we threw it into the garbage heap and replaced it with aluminum steel and glass, giving it a look that's not in keeping with the design of the building, but rather looks more like it came from a welfare hotel.
: "we replace the boiler", (even though they still don't seem to know how to to "up the heat" when it's cold, and "turn down/off the heat" when it's warm.
: "we painted all the hallways and the lobby", (even though it had just been painted, and as a matter of fact, we NEVER STRIP THE OLD PAINT BEFORE WE PUT A NEW COAT ON, like we would in our own homes.
: "we replaced all the old toilets", (even though the "old toilets" worked very well, and now the "new" toilets leak and take multilpe flushings to do the job properly!
: "we put in new lighting in the lobby and in the hallways", even though we used big ugly fluorescent lights which take away from the pre-war ambiance and design of most New York City buildings and looks more like an office building.
: "we renovated the whole apartment", (even though it didn't need total renovation, but they threw away the french doors, the brass art deco lighting fixtures, the old kitchen cabinets - some with french doors, and rip out all the moldings
: and detail on the walls, and stripped away probably everything that gave the apartment the character which had stood sturdy for so many years), and we smoothed everything out so that every room looks like the inside of a shoe box; like everything
: other apartment we touch!
:
: - ALL this and more, yet the landlords get money from city for doing it.
: - Why cant' the city give money for RESTORATION? Instead, it's renvation/demolition!
: Anyway, landlords of the city put the rent levels and COSTS where the want it to be.
: WHO exactly is causing these landlords to NEED to raise rents as high as they do?
: I remember when the "recession" hit New York City and I couldn't believe that while many people
: were losing jobs and the economy was hit hard, landlords were raising rents everywhere!
: I saw popular restaurants and businesses who were doing well, close down because they said their landlords
: raised the rents 100% and more!
: I think a major "cleaning" needs to take place, but it's with the ethics of people who are in high income
: brackets and making of "racket" of renting to the people of New York City.
: SHAME, SHAME, SHAME.
: David.
Bravo! Bravo! Bravo! I couldn't have said it better myself.
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