rent increase

[Alfredo]

I 've been living in the same apartment for more than 15 years. Since last year the landlord
started raising the rent more than 5% a year. At the same time, the building needs painting and the stairwell isn't swept. Ever since I moved in, many of the windows in the apartment have been dysfunctional, the bottom of the bathtub has been rusted through, and the kitchen cupboards have been worn out. Recently the kitchen floor has cracked open. There is no way that the landlord will fix any of these things (without raising the rent a lot more). Do I have any real legal rights or is this simply the way things work in this landlord culture that we call NYC in 2024? The word "landlord" is from the 15th century.

[TenantNet]

In that you're not rent stab, your rights are limited on this. You have no rights to services as defined under RS, but any tenant has the Warranty of Habitability right. That means things being kept in good repair.

There are ways to force the LL to do this (rent withholding, HP Action), but start by asking. Document everything. Take photos. You can call for an inspection (311) but don't expect a lot from HPD.

And since you're not RS, then yes the LL can increase the rent, but only after proper notice and only at the end of the lease.

With some minor things it might make sense to do the work yourself. You can offer to paint if the LL agrees to pay for the paint and brushes. And you will likely get a better job. If you're a good tenant, I'd negotiate with the LL that a tenant who pays rent every month is better than some crazy person who doesn't.

If you have a clear indication that the unit should be RS (and you've done your homework), you can always file with DHCR. But don't do this on a whim; do your homework on that.

[Bigskunk911]

I 've been living in the same apartment for more than 15 years. Since last year the landlord
started raising the rent more than 5% a year. At the same time, the building needs painting and the stairwell isn't swept. Ever since I moved in, many of the windows in the apartment have been dysfunctional, the bottom of the bathtub has been rusted through, and the kitchen cupboards have been worn out. Recently the kitchen floor has cracked open. There is no way that the landlord will fix any of these things (without raising the rent a lot more). Do I have any real legal rights or is this simply the way things work in this landlord culture that we call NYC in 2024? The word "landlord" is from the 15th century.

Although we're presuming your in an unregulated apartment, it would be helpful to at-least state whether you are and/or whether you suspect you might be. I'm only pointing this out because there is a separate forum for "regulated housing" that isn't the same as rent regulated under RS/RC. Has the potential to confuse people.

You may be able to call HPD and band with other tenants in the building if there are major repairs to be done. There is something called the "alternative enforcement" program, I don't think its limited to only RS/RC buildings but it must be a multiple dwelling.