A little over a year ago, I moved into a new affordable housing building. The tenants are a mix of section 8 and so-called "community tenants" (me). Our building is run by a nonprofit social services company and a for-profit management company that were founded by the same people and was funded through HUD loans and the LIHTC.
Before moving in I signed a lease that indicated the apt was rent stabilized, and listed the same rent that was advertised on the housing lotto website. I also signed a rider with the building's rules and policies. I wasn't given a rent stabilization rider, and nothing indicated my legal rent was higher than what was listed on my lease.
A few days before my initial lease expired I paid my next month's rent to the leasing & compliance associate for my building, and asked if she knew when I'd be receiving a renewal lease. She told me she didn't handle renewal leases, but she could get a copy of mine and e-mail it to me. I should sign it, and then she would pass it along to the person in charge of signing and returning it.
The e-mailed renewal included a new rider that changed a bunch of terms in my lease, and said that rent is based on 30% of tenant's income. I also saw the rent stabilization rider for the first time, which listed my current rent as preferential and then listed a legal rent that was 3x higher. I e-mailed the person who sent it to me with some questions. They told me it wasn't their job or problem, and the person who's it was would be reaching out shortly.
My rent history from DHCR shows that my apartment had been registered for the first time as a "vacancy lease" 9 months after I moved in. That was the first year on file, and no initial rent registration had ever been filed. It also listed the same legal rent and preferential rent that I had seen on the renewal. Another tenant told me they also received a renewal from the same person, with the same preferential rent and a legal rent that was significantly higher (but different than mine).
About a week later I met with the person who handles leasing for all of the management company's properties. They seemed unaware about my e-mails with the other employee, and I was given the following to sign:
-New lease (exactly the same as the original except for the dates)
-Original rider w/ building rules (again, exactly the same as original)
-The new rider described above
I signed the new lease and original rider, but said I wasn't comfortable with the new rider. The landlord tried to convince me it was fine, none of it was enforceable, and it was OK to sign. I declined, and he didn't push it much further.
After re-signing the lease and original rider, I was told that my renewal was finished. I asked why I hadn't been given a rent stabilization rider and the landlord said "what are you talking about?" I pulled out a copy of the rider that had been e-mailed to me, and said I was worried about the higher legal rent and how it had never been disclosed to me when I moved in. The landlord told me "you don't need to sign that form, but if you really want to, I'll set up another meeting." I asked if he had the form with him now, he said no. I asked how the higher legal rent was calculated, and he said it was the same for everyone in the building, and set by HPD. He also said I would never be charged it, and all increases would be based on the preferential rent and would never exceed the RGB increases allowed for that year (though language to that effect was nowhere to be found in the lease or any rider). I asked why other people in the building had told me their legal rent was not the same as mine, and he wouldn't answer. I left with signed copies of my new lease and rider, and haven't had contact since.
What should I do now? Do I need a lawyer? And are my rights affected by the fact that I did receive a rent-stabilization renewal rider this year, even though it was delivered via e-mail by someone other than the landlord, and my landlord did not allow me to sign it at my renewal meeting? Worried they try and evict me after it goes unsigned for 60 days.
Since moving in I've always paid my rent and been a respectful tenant, I abide by all the building rules, etc. I'm also concerned about other tenants but worried about retaliation if I go door to door talking to people (lots of security cameras).