All stories about "Ask Curbed"

The pet issue is one not taken lightly in the city—coughStuyTowncough. Pet owners hate it when their pet-owning rights are tampered with, and those apartment dwellers without pets are usually not fond of the added noise and occasional smell. The "three month rule," where pets can't be kicked out if the owners have had them out in the open for 90 days, is often defended as vigorously as the First Amendment. But here's a case of a condo board that may be overstepping its bounds. Or not. That's where the Ask Curbed braintrust comes in:

My wife and I have rented in a pet friendly condo building for 2 years from a lovely owner. The condo board recently decided to enforce a no pet clause for renters stating that only owners have the right to have a dog. They sent a nasty letter to our owner saying they would get fined $100/day if we didn't remove our pet within 15 days.

Are we qualified to be giving advice to buyers on whether or not their potential purchase is a good idea? Certainly not. But housing lotteries have been an occasional and very interesting topic in Ask Curbedville, and the reader who submitted this query said that he wanted to put this to the masses. So, away we go:

My name was selected in a HPD housing lottery for a condo located in the Harlem area of Manhattan. And before I even think of accepting it, I wanted to ask around if it is a good deal or not? Or would I be better off purchasing a similar property on the open market. Here are the details:

· 2 Bed and 2 Bath
· Approx. 900 sq. ft.
· Top condo unit of a 5 floor walk-up
· Total of 5 floor-thru units

It's the stuff dreams are made of: After years of entering affordable housing lotteries, waiting and hoping that against long odds a bargain rental or co-op will fall into your lap, your number finally comes up. It should be cause for celebration, but for this Curbed reader, it isn't. It's cause for an ulcer. Read on:

I was just informed I've won a co-op in an affordable housing lottery. On Monday April 28 I will be given a floorplan and told the price. I then have one week to have a lawyer review the documents and arrange a mortgage. I will not be able to see the actual apartment, though I walked by the building earlier this week. And I am supposed to commit to living there for 25 years. I don't know what happens in terms of selling it if I need to leave New York.

The building is new, in Bushwick near the Flushing Avenue M stop. It's a boxy, flat-front midrise surrounded by similar-looking public housing, for seniors.

I'm sort of freaking out about the short time and limited information I have to make this decision.

With the weather getting beyond nice, an email lands in the Ask Curbed Inbox that cuts to the heart of grilling season:

I live in a new apartment complex in Long Island City. It's owned by the same company who have 3 other building there, one of them being built right now. We currently pay an "amenity fee" of fifty dollars per tenant per month for the use of the the facilities, which includes a swimming pool, screening room, billiard room, and outdoor space, known as the sun deck...

Putting it in the language of metaphor, finding out your sweet sweet rent-stabilized apartment has been deregulated is the real estate equivalent of rain on your parade, or a swift kick in the nuts. Which is why we feel for you, poor Lower East Sider, who sent us this teary missive:

So today, I get this letter in my mailbox:

"Dear Tenants,

Pursuant to Section 26-504.3 of the Rent Stabilization Law.

The building [My Lower East Side Address] is deregulated now. My building has been paying very high Real Estate Tax yearly and your apartment is no longer subjected to Rent Regulation. It is a market rental building now.

Thank you for your attention.

Truly Yours,
Management"

Can they do this? What does this mean? I assume they can't raise the rent until my one year lease is up, right? Man, I wanted to stay in this apartment forever :(