Fine space, Nightmare Landlord
Pros
- Close to the N/R trains & Greenwood Cemetery - Feels more residential - Nice light through the windows - Charming pre-war details - Front of building is well landscaped and maintained
Cons
I’ve lived in NYC for 17 years and Selma Rondon is the worst landlord I’ve ever had. She’s the exact reason why people warn against renting in owner-occupied buildings. There were definitely red flags in the beginning—for instance, she spoke negatively about past tenants—but I needed a place to live and didn’t yet understand the specific flavor of emotional distress having a crazy landlord would cause. It started with weird accusations. Her sink was stopping up and she accused us of causing it. One of the trash bags outside was “too heavy” and she “knew” it was ours because she “recognized the trash bags we used” (it was not ours). Then after three years of renting she made us pay an additional deposit, on top of the security deposit we had already paid, in order to resign the lease. I told her that requiring additional deposits has been illegal since 2019. She said pay it or leave. (She made the 2nd floor tenant pay this to move-in and is currently advertising on CL with the additional illegal deposit as well). The only thermostat in the building is in her apartment on the ground floor. During the winter the temperature in the apartment regularly gets into the fifties. When I asked her to turn up the heat, she would advise me to “put on socks and a sweater”. After complaining about the heat dozens of times over four years of tenancy, we finally called 311, who issued her several violations. She hated this and accused us of sabotaging our own heat. She came up and literally yelled at me in my own apartment. She retaliated against us by not offering a lease renewal. She has sent deranged texts about how we’re “Karens”, which, she says, she knows because her daughters are also Karens. It does not surprise me that this woman does not have a good relationship with her children, but ma’am that is a private matter between you and your children, why are you texting me about it. It’s a fine apartment to live in, but Selma makes it a nightmare. I strongly recommend avoiding her.
Advice to the owners
Seek help
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