At 7 pm every night, New Yorkers are literally hanging out of their windows and clapping and banging pots and pans to cheer on and thank our essential workers. Since the onset of the Covid-19 ‘shelter in place’ order, #ClapBecauseWeCare has become a highlight for many of us in New York City. Which brings us to the question, what residential building workers are considered essential?
Photocredit: Deutsch Photography
Read MoreWith the COVID-19 measures taken, multifamily buildings, including coops and condos, may not be able to collect rents, maintenance, and common charges from those affected. Yet, property owners need to continue paying their bills. Will this jeopardize their ability to function?
Read MoreIt’s time for sidewalk sheds and scaffolding, again. February 21, 2020 marks the beginning of the 9th cycle of façade inspections for all NYC buildings. The Façade Inspection Safety Program (FISP) was formerly known and still often referred to as Local Law 11. Building owners and managers have four years to complete the inspection and make the necessary repairs.
Read MoreWould you go to a restaurant that had anything but a letter “A” posted in the window? As recently reported in Curbed NY, Local Law 95, which is an amendment to Local Law 33, mandates that all New York City buildings post their letter grade on the building. Buildings are expected to receive their letters in the fall of 2020. The building grade is based on how much carbon it emits; in a nutshell, new buildings will have higher grades while old buildings will have poorer grades.
Read MoreIt’s that time of the year again. Soon, you will need to inform your coop shareholders or condo owners that their monthly fees are increasing, again. This is in spite of a close to zero inflation economy and owners’ salaries barely increasing. Despite this, every contract and vendor that the board hires, on owners’ behalf, automatically increases their fees every year.
Read MoreHave you ever wondered why buildings are covered under scaffolding, often times for years? And this summer, it seems that scaffolding, also known as a sidewalk shed, is going up on every block. Well, summer is the season for exterior work. It is when buildings comply with the Façade Inspection & Safety Program (FISP), formerly known as Local Law 11. After months of planning and funding, this is when scaffolding goes up and lots of Coop, Condo, and rental property residents start living in darkness for months or even years.
Photocredits: Deborah Donenfeld Photography
Read MoreWhen Gladys pressed the “9” button on the elevator panel, she heard a noise that could most generously be described as sounding like a train slamming into a wall. For most New Yorkers, this is a subconscious everyday fear, as each day involves multiple elevator rides.
Although there’s nothing as annoying as being stuck in traffic or a delayed subway, an elevator “out of service” sign for a 15-flight stair climb is not far behind.
Has your building installed a door lock monitor system? They are required by January 1, 2020.
Read MoreThe management team in a coop or condo is composed of three distinct entities: the board, the property manager, and the staff. When their strengths are combined, goals can be achieved that could not have been done by just one of these entities.
Read MoreIt’s a New Year with New Beginnings and all-new New Year’s Resolutions. Here are some fun facts:
The #1 New Year’s Resolution is to lose weight
The #5 New Year’s Resolution is to stay fit and healthy
Read MoreSpace is limited and real estate prices are soaring. Are your Co-op and Condo basement spaces utilized in the most efficient way? Here are 5 Tips on how to increase income for the building while adding amenities, all which in effect increase property values.
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