Strength in numbers should be your mantra when you rent an apartment in New York City. This means once you move into a rental property, introduce yourself to your neighbors. Determine whether the rental property has a tenant’s association and if it does not, slowly build relationships with other tenants. Eventually, you should gain the support of other tenants to form an association that represents the legal interests of every tenant living in the building.
Document Everything
A tenant-landlord dispute often comes down to the evidence gathered and organized by the aggrieved tenant or a large group of tenants. According to the Met Council on Housing, “In general, when fighting with your landlord over repairs and services, keeping good records is key.” This means that if you enter into a dispute with your landlord, you should document every violation. For example, if you experience a rodent infestation, take photographs of the damage done to the rental unit.
Be Proactive
Do not ignore a problem until it becomes too late to take legal action. When you discover an issue that negatively impacts the quality of your life, do not wait until the issue morphs into a major calamity. Inform your landlord about an issue immediately, and if you encounter resistance, reach out to one of the skilled litigators at Morgan & Morgan for legal support. We offer a free case evaluation that helps us prepare for the next step in the tenant and landlord dispute resolution process.