Q. I live in a prewar co-op building. It takes 5-10 minutes for the cold water in my kitchen and bathroom to get truly cold. It starts out warm or lukewarm (75-82 degrees Fahrenheit) when I first turn it on, and it’s very frustrating. The…
As of August 9, 2020, all owners of residential rental properties located in New York City and built before 1960—including singles and duplexes—MUST test and inspect ALL of their apartment units for lead within five years of the August 9 st…
Co-op and condo living is subject to lots of rules—some of which come directly from state laws, some from the building or association’s own bylaws, and some from its house rules. Every state has statutes that govern the operation of residen…
As the nation starts to regain a semblance of normalcy with COVID-19 vaccinations on the rise and restrictions beginning to ease, legislative dockets have filled with bills and proposals that have ramifications for the co-op, condo, and HOA…
The 2021 legislative session of the New York State Legislature has presented an unprecedented number of proposed bills seeking to reform the way housing cooperatives operate. Many of these bills are ill-conceived in our view, and will serv…
According to a press release from Building Service Workers Union 32BJ SEIU, doormen, concierges, and porters, along with representatives of the union and elected officials - including State Senator Brian Benjamin and Assembly Members Harvey…
On May 16, 2021, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) issued updates to its mask-wearing guidelines, advising fully vaccinated Americans that they no longer need to wear masks or maintain social distance either indoors or ou…
Term limits are often a hot issue at all levels of government. Does capping the tenure of an elected official clear the way for new ideas and re-energize governance, or does it cut off expertise and knowledge that can really only be acquire…
Q: I'm a member of my building's board. At a recent board meeting, the owner of our management company told the board that I fired the plumbing company. The owner of the plumbing company then asked for my name and phone number, and the mana…
In a world where the cost of services and goods are generally rising, even in the absence of any substantive inflation, co-op and condominium boards and management are always looking for ways to hold the line on increasing monthly costs. T…