Hi,
I have a friend whose spouse died suddenly 3 weeks ago. They were married for 3 years and the spouse had lived in the apartment for just shy of 20 years without a lease. The apt is not rent-regulated and they lived there on a month-to-month basis. The landlord is now starting the process for a holdover case is the survivor-spouse does not vacate w/in 30 days.
Just as extra information - the apartment (& whole building in fact) is in disrepair - plumbing in bathroom doesn't work, kitchen plumbing leaks, kitchen cabinets broken. They were in the process of fixing these things themselves at their own expense. They have no history of non-payment or of complaints or problems with the landlord.
The surviving spouse would really like to stay in the apartment. So before going to a lawyer, I suggested that my friend contact the landlord and see if something can be worked out.
Does anyone have any advice on how to approach the landlord or what could be done if housing court is the only recourse?
Thank you.