Brooklyn-Landlord Tenant Rights

[Hector Polector]

Hello,

Currently living in Brooklyn, third month at same apartment. No lease
was ever signed. Monthly payments are cash only. (Yes it's that type of
place, please spare me the "never rent a place without a lease..."
lesson it was our only option.)

The building is a house with three apartment units.

The landlord has recently told us that he is selling the building.
(Neither he nor a family member will be moving in)

I want to know what my rights as a tenant are?

1) If the new owner decides to keep us as tenants what are our rights
in terms of rent increase?

2) If the new owner wants us out what are our rights in terms of
timelines notices etc...?

3) What agencies are there in New York City / Brooklyn which would help
me with this situation?

thanks in advance!
Hector

[o***@whatsgooglefor.net]

Post by Hector Polector
Currently living in Brooklyn, third month at same apartment. No lease
was ever signed. Monthly payments are cash only. . . . .
The building is a house with three apartment units.
The landlord has recently told us that he is selling the building.
(Neither he nor a family member will be moving in)
I want to know what my rights as a tenant are?
1) If the new owner decides to keep us as tenants what are our rights
in terms of rent increase?
2) If the new owner wants us out what are our rights in terms of
timelines notices etc...?
3) What agencies are there in New York City / Brooklyn which would help
me with this situation?
thanks in advance!

http://www.metcouncil.net/

http://www.tenant.net/index.html

[Stan]

Post by Hector Polector
Hello,
Currently living in Brooklyn, third month at same apartment. No lease
was ever signed. Monthly payments are cash only. (Yes it's that type of
place, please spare me the "never rent a place without a lease..."
lesson it was our only option.)
The building is a house with three apartment units.
The landlord has recently told us that he is selling the building.
(Neither he nor a family member will be moving in)
I want to know what my rights as a tenant are?
1) If the new owner decides to keep us as tenants what are our rights
in terms of rent increase?
2) If the new owner wants us out what are our rights in terms of
timelines notices etc...?
3) What agencies are there in New York City / Brooklyn which would help
me with this situation?

First off, is it even a legal housing unit? I know of a number of
homes built east of Ralph Ave between Aves K and M in the late 1960's
that were legally 2 units, but where the basement could easily (and
was) converted into a studio or one-bedroom apartment (the term I heard
used was an "illegal 3").

I don't believe there are any rent control or rent stabilization laws
for buildings of 4 units or less where the owner occupies one of the 4
units.

There may be a New York City or state law about "notice to quit" (I
think that's the term), but it's not unheard of where the new owner
bought the building because he wanted to occupy more than one unit
(e.g., one for himself and the other for an elderly parent) and evicted
the tenant at the first opportunity. The only time you could legally
do something, like negotiate a buyout, is if you lived in a
rent-controlled or rent-stabilized unit (and I'm sure yours isn't).

"Off the record", what I would suggest is verify everything I said
(doesn't NY City have some sort of housing department?), find out all
your rights, and maybe you'll have a little bit of negotiating
roomv(like subsidizing relocation costs) by agreeing "not to be
difficult" in case the new owner tries to raise your rent or evict you.

By the way, is there any security deposit involved, and if so, do you
have a receipt?