Hi there-
I am looking for assistance on my sublet case.
In 2015 I moved back to nyc and needed to sublet an apartment. The sublet was initially temporary (three to six months) but the person who is on the lease, kept extending their stay abroad, meanwhile I really like the apartment.
As a result it is now 2019 and I continue to sublet from this person. The issue is that I'm pretty sure that they do not have permission from the landlord bc they have always refused to give me the landlord's number and deal with them directly.
This month has been especially difficult because there was no heating in the apartment for a couple of weeks, and on top of it, the tenant told me that rent had risen (I have no proof of this rent rise of course). As a result I replied that I didnt want to pay for the extra rent this month given that I had no heat for two weeks and that it was illegal. This seems to have upset the tenant and now they are telling me theyre giving me one month's notice and that if I want to stay, I need to pay them an extra 2k bc they are claiming I didn't pay rent once in 2015.
I have all the wire transfers for the past four years here. The landlord isn't dumb and knows Ive been here for all these years but there is a language barrier so I can't communicate that I want the lease. That aside- don't I have rights to this apartment when I have been living here for almost four years and have proof of that? All my mail comes to this address, I have paid on time every month since 2015.... and now it seems I am being extorted in order to stay longer.
Do you guys know what my rights are? I read somewhere today that subletting beyond 2 years in nyc is illegal but I'm not sure what that means for me...
Also- Am I allowed to change the locks? I am concerned that the tenant will react negatively and I know a friend of theirs has a copy of the apt key. I know it's illegal for them to come into the apt without telling me but I really would feel safer changing the locks in the middle of all of this, so wanted to know if anyone had any experience in any of this.
Thanks in advance,
coco.