Pros and cons outweigh rent price
Pros
Landlord/owner is a tenant. Inside building typically clean, but not a big area to get dirty. Snow clearing in front of building A+. Good closet space in small apartment (entryway closet and closet in each bedroom). Typically good with rent increases, not imposing or not making extreme. Rent has gone up a lot though since I moved out. Family is nice and helps landlord to make decisions. Allowed extra day to move out, in order to clean more thoroughly. Centrally located area convenient to Broadway and 31st streets, shops, subway, laundry, food.
Cons
Landlord is DIY style when it comes to fixing projects. He is a nice man and means well, but some issues require a professional (like constant ceiling leak from older upstairs neighbor). Had issues with heat and hot water sometimes, thought typically fixed quickly. Had issues with bugs coming up through floorboard from basement (very weird!). Had bugs coming from sink sometimes. Noise from back of apartment was sometimes very loud (car engines/revving from family garage. Family would gather in back for cooking out (as is their right), but it would get loud and the cookout smell would drift into the bedrooms. Lease renewal was typically given months past the due date. Security deposit wasn't given back after move. Nor was it properly deposited in the first place (later learned should have been in an interest bearing account). Landlord stated he needed time to rent the apartment and would hold on to it. He ended up moving into the apartment himself and renting out his own third floor apartment, increasing his rent substantially. Never heard from him or small claims court about deposit.
Advice to the owners
Landlord/owner is actually very nice and kind man and has good intentions. Self-fixing everything though doesn't always work. Give a lawful rental agreement when signing and place money in interest bearing account as should be doing. Don't withhold security deposit improperly. If things need to be fixed with deposit, do so, but you can't hold on to it personally.
/-73.920206,40.762291,14/640x640@2x?access_token=pk.eyJ1Ijoib3BlbmlnbG9vIiwiYSI6ImNsYjNmMjVwdzBjeHgzd21wYmJmZDB0eGYifQ.XZvZCOh51yXuDBE-I3Bg0A)
/-73.920389,40.762388,14/640x640@2x?access_token=pk.eyJ1Ijoib3BlbmlnbG9vIiwiYSI6ImNsYjNmMjVwdzBjeHgzd21wYmJmZDB0eGYifQ.XZvZCOh51yXuDBE-I3Bg0A)