Renew Lease/Rent Reduction

[akolbi]

(this is a long one. sorry! i'd appreciate any input/advice!!)

i live in astoria, queens - land of sketchy and non-existant leases. we did have a lease but it just expired and there has been no talk by the LL of renewing it and since 2/3 of us hadn't even signed it i don't think it is something they are too interested in.

in the past few weeks there have been major electrical problems in our apartment. our LLs have discovered that to fix it requires tearing apart the apartment (we live in a 2-family unit and they live downstairs) and have rigged up a cable from an outside power source for the time being. however half of our kitchen no longer works (incl. oven/stove) and the electrician is supposed to return this weekend to look at this problem.

my question is: when we go to them about trying to get a renewed, written lease can the deterioriating condition of the apartment (the fact that a cable now runs through the bathroom and hallway, requiring the window to always be open, and the fact that we might have to light our own stove/oven if it can't be fixed this weekend)

a) stop them from raising the rent if they want to and/or;
b) allow us to request a rent reduction since the apartment is no longer of the same quality that it was when we rented it at the original price? i know that improvements can mean raised rent so i was wondering if dis-improvements could mean the opposite....

[ChrisG]

if your apt is not regulated (ie stabilized or controlled), i don't think the rent increase laws appy at all. now, you might certainly be able to make a logical case to your LL that the rent should be reduced but you would probably do well to push them to fix everything so your apt is in full working condition. it sounds like what they are doing now is legally sketchy and possibly dangerous to you and the house in general. and what's the deal with your stove? if you have to light it, then the pilot light is out, assuming the gas is still running.