Posted by TenantNet on January 27, 1997 at 16:00:22:
In Reply to: privacy and robbery posted by AKornfeld on January 27, 1997 at 14:34:20:
: Our landlord is always trying to gain access to our apt using many different made up repairs and/or emergencies. While he is there he snoops into our business. Last time, he stole the shower head from our bathroom using the excuse that we were not using a water saving shower attachment! Under threat of the police he returned it, but my question is...
: What are our rights? I want to keep him out of the apartment and stop him verbally bothering us on the phone and in person.
: Does anyone have a sugesstion? This is a rent stabilized apt in a brownstone and I don't want to move!
: Thanks for your help.
No, you don't have to move. If there is a real emergency (obviously you
would know if there was one or you can insist you be shown how the
"emergency" relates to your apartment) you have to let the owner in for
repairs immediately. For anything else, he has to give you advance notice
and you can demand it be in writing, when it will be (business hours
at a reasonable time) and you can force him to explain exactly why he
wants access (repair, inspection, showing, etc.), you can require him to be
specific (just "repairs" is not good enough), you can require him to
commit in writing that he will finish a job and not leave a pile of rubble.
I did this with my landlord recently and held him off as he would not
put on paper that we would repair the floor after digging it up. Only when
he agreed would I then allow him in at a reasonable time with advance notice.
You don't have to be so rigid, but you can be if it will let him know that
he can't just walk all over you. Tell him not to call you more than once and
if he keeps it up, you will get Nynex on him. There are times he may have a legitimate
reason to call, but not many times.
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