Stolen Security Deposit
Pros
The roof is a nice place to hang out with views of the manhattan skyline. It’s also accessible from the stairs.
Cons
The owners stole my security deposit. Their reasoning for taking it was that I wasn’t going to stay in the apartment or move to one of the other properties they owned, and they would use my deposit to find a new tenant.
Advice to the owners
Follow the law - someone with more resources will take you to court.
Slumlord Extraordinaire
Pros
Proximity to popular spots Quiet neighbors Quiet neighborhood
Cons
Apartment was dirty and damaged on move in (holes in wall, dead roaches, trash, etc.) Lock to the front door of the building was constantly broken. Everyone in my unit suffered from stolen property (e.g. packages) as a result. Super and management were slow to respond until I threatened legal action. Never used the laundry facilities in the basement because the machines were filthy and broken. BEWARE: physical mailing address is a PO Box, so good luck if you ever need to serve them legal papers. Staff was also less than forthcoming with that address (I paid rent online but had to mail back the keys at the end of my lease)
Advice to the owners
Quit being cheap with your repairs, especially with the front door. As a landlord you owe a legal duty to your tenants to keep common areas safe. Your tenants should not have to threaten legal action to get you to act. Furthermore, the PO Box setup is a clear tactic to keep tenants from bringing you to housing court. That is a slumlord move plain and simple.