Typical Building (for NYC)
Pros
Building is fairly quiet (aside from one tenant who has loud hallway conversations) and trash area is extremely well maintained. Location is great, most neighbors are friendly. Neighborhood is nice and safe. A few units are updated/renovated. Family owned building; owner is flexible & understanding.
Cons
Nonexistent maintenance (don’t expect anything to be fixed or addressed). Have been told by tenants who’ve moved out that it takes forever to get security deposit back (literally several months & begging).
Advice to the owners
Take care of your tenants, so they take care of your building!
Clean, but not the greatest.
Pros
Building is VERY clean. Trash is cleared regularly, and almost no bugs whatsoever in the building (rare for NYC). A few tenants can be noisy in the halls, but overall very private, especially rear facing units (noise in apartments doesn't carry--stays pretty quiet). Hardware store right downstairs is a nice plus.
Cons
Poor management. Landlord is unresponsive, building is marketed as having a "Live in Super," yet after years of leaks and appliance issues, never once did a super come address a single problem. Takes months to get security deposit back, or any attention/correspondence from landlord, really. Street facing units are very noisy and dusty, but that is anywhere. No one seems to know how to recycle properly, and management is not clear about rules for recycling/separation, so it is always a mess.
Advice to the owners
Respond to your tenants, especially when they are paying over market value for your units. Consider an actual live-in super who can be contacted for maintenance issues, instead of ignoring your tenants who are just trying to maintain a healthy and safe building.