Hi guys. I’ve checked in here now and then to help friends with rental problems and I guess now it's my turn to find some advice here. Here are the highlights of my rental situation:
1) I have no lease and pay rent to directly to my roommate via personal check.
2) I have lived there for 3 years with no lease (first year was $500.00 a month).
3) 2 dead people appear on the lease/rent statements so essientially right now my roommate has no lease either. He moved into the apt. prior to his 2nd uncle dying and is currently (last 4 years) in court arguing nephew succession.
4) He sends a check for the full amount of the rent directly to the management co.
5) The total rent for the apt was increased marginally in January (2% or something) and it is now approx.$700 a month total for the apt.
6) He currently charges me $550 a month and wants to raise that to $650 May 1 2003. (For the mathematically challenged that is a near 20% increase and 93% of the total rent).
Ideally I would like to stay another 6-8 months paying at my currently rate. But he refuses to negotiate on the rent increase. Is there anything I can do besides pay it and be bitter? I have a friend who swears I should file a rent overcharge complaint with DHCR, but I don’t know what this will yield, if anything.
Any thoughts?