I am writing this review today because tomorrow I need to sign a waiver that says I will give up all claims and rights to saying anything about this landlord. That is how bad things got, he ended up holding my security deposit until I signed this waiver.
The property was great, I'll give him that. He had redone the apartment and it looked very nice. Move in was fine until I found out that there was gas electrical and plumbing problems. Basically it was shoddy workmanship with a nice facade (for a rental that is).
It took him 3 months to fix everything and he only did this after multiple threats and legal action. He ended up taking off $500 of my rent which was nice, but I'd rather have paid the money and had a working apartment. I filed 2 complaints with the NYC housing authorities.
The rest of the year was fine, I paid my rent, didn't bother him and he didn't bother me.
When my lease was up I realized I was overpaying for rent and since we were in a recession I wrote a letter asking for a rent reduction. He denied it, which is fine, so I moved out and found a better place for less money. My apartment is still vacant after 3 months, so it probably would have been a good idea for him to rent it at a lower price to me. I did find out that he is trying to rent it at a lower price than I paid.
I paid my first, last and security deposit up front. I did not use my last months rent as my actual last month's rent because I was worried he would hold my security deposit. Anyways when it came time to get my security deposit and last months rent back, this is when more problems started.
I left the apartment in the same condition than when I moved in. It has been over 2 months since I moved out and I still have not received my money back. I tried numerous times to call the management company and they never called me back. The only time I could speak to them was when they decided to answer the phone. 1 month after I moved out they said they would send my check in 2 weeks. They did not send the check.I then began a series of letters saying that I would file a small claims court case and gave them a deadline.
They waited up until that deadline and then had their lawyers call me to strike a deal. They are now offering to pay me back (plus interest) but are requiring that I sign a release that says I will never say anything about my landlord or the management company again.
When I last spoke to the management company, there was only one person working there and she was an assistant. The woman who hired her quit, probably because she was disgruntled, she was always on my side for my complaints but could never do anything. Anyways the one woman who works there does not know who her boss is, doesn't know what the deal with the company is and can't do anything for you except relay your call to the landlord.
I would stay far far away from Avi Brender, ASB Management and Lenox on the Park. It is poorly run and you will find yourself in a difficult situation, like I did.
Pros: Nice Apartment
Cons: Not Responsive, Difficult to Deal With
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