Pros:
- Only 4 units in the entire brownstone so it's not densely populated and lends to a peaceful, quiet environment!
- Maintenance requests were always attended to in a timely manner
- I lived there between 2018-2021 and didn't experience any rent increases for 3 years. I know from my old roommates who are still there that for the renewal in 2022 however the landlord is trying to increase rent.
- Central AC/heating that didn't cost an arm & a leg like it does for electricity in my new building!!
- Beautiful apartment with newer fixtures/appliances, original brick walls, and nice windows in all the bedrooms.
- Wonderful stoop for hanging out!
Cons:
- In the 3 years I lived there, 2 of those years I was the only person of color in the building, including my roommates
- My last year I lived there, a BIPOC couple moved in upstairs.
- We experienced some challenges/pushback my last year living there when a new roommate we wanted to join (a Black woman) who offered to pay extra months rent to make up for her credit score was denied. The ultimatum they gave us was if we wanted to live with her, we (the other 2 roomies, one white woman and me as one Southeast Asian woman) would have to sign as her guarantor. We ultimately did it but the property management company did NOT give a F about the long history of policies that make it difficult for Black tenants to find safe housing.
Advice to owner:
Build more connections to the tenants, diversify tenants and stop only letting white families live there in a historically Black neighborhood like Crown Heights.