H.S.I. Lies To Tenants About Conditions In Building

As a Rent Stabilized tenant of this S.R.O., you have witnessed the way our building runs and the problems which affect it. A few feel it’s being run O.K., while the majority of residents are not satisfied with conditions and would like some big changes. What’s YOUR opinion, and what do you think should be done? The first thing tenants need to know is what they are entitled to as residents of this building. For example, you are entitled by LAW to safe reliable elevators. Another important point is what your legal rights are as a tenant! You have many rights under Rent Stabilization Law and Code, N.Y. State Real Property Law and other Housing laws. Free copies of the “Tenants Rights Guide” are available from the New York State Attorney General’s Office, State Capitol, Albany, NY 12224, or from any other office of the Attorney General. The Guide may be downloaded from the Attorney General’s website: www.ag.ny.gov. There is also a New York City office located at 120 Broadway, New York, NY 10271-0332; the phone number there is 212-416-8000. The Guide is available in English and Spanish, and you can have multiple copies sent to you at once. Management would have you believe that they ‘make the rules’. They are wrong and staff misleads tenants into thinking that they have no rights. It is about time that residents organize a tenants association and encourage other tenants to participate and change our S.R.O. into a safer, well maintained building. Remember that there is strength in numbers and a unified front is difficult to beat! Some tenants are upset by vermin (mice, roaches) in their apartments; other tenants have mold growing in their apartments. Quite a few tenants are infuriated by the lack of regular elevator maintenance. Since management has a new policy of trying to blame tenants for causing these problems, it makes more sense to call 311 immediately and report violations of the habitability of the building. Having limited access to elevators is especially hard on our neighbors who use wheelchairs, walkers or canes to get around. Beware of another new tactic used by case workers and management; if tenants complain about vermin in their rooms, they may call tenants hoarders and then make false accusations about tenants to Adult Protective Services – they’ve called several tenants “hoarders” already. This is dangerous and malicious. Their attempts at profiling tenants are empty and baseless, How to successfully respond to false accusations like this will be discussed in a new issue of the newsletter.