NYC RENTAL SCAMS ALERT! “Affordable Equity Project” & “Super Low Rentals”

by alicia on February 17, 2012

NYC RENTAL SCAMS

YOU SHOULD NEVER GIVE ANY MONIES WITHOUT SEEING THE APARTMENT IN PERSON! IF IT IS TO GOOD TO BE TRUE IT ALWAYS, ALWAYS IS!!

Scam

Super Low Rentals Scam AKA Affordable Equity Project

I originally wrote the article posted below two years ago regarding “The Affordable Equity Project.” They are a fake company that preys on desparate renters to submit $40.00-$50.00 as a general application fee or credit check and then they never have any intention of showing you the apartment.

Super Low Rentals Scam (SuperLowRentals.com)

This website has been complained about many times with the Better Business Bureau so now they have started a new website called SuperLowRentals.com. Please, please read below before you ever considering giving money to a company before you have seen the apartment.

The Affordable Equity Project Scam (EquityProject.net)

I have been emailed and contacted more about the Affordable Equity Project (AEP) than any other topic as the director of HowToRentInNYC.com. The Affordable Equity Project lists several very below market priced apartments on their website and then instructs users to send $40.00 for a processing fee and that credit scores and income do not matter.

From the AEP Website: “The Affordable Equity Project is a company that was founded with one goal in mind, to connect affordable housing with the responsible people who need it most. We believe every person on earth who needs and wants housing should be able to get it at an affordable rental price. Affordable Housing should not be a privilege, it should be a right.”

Many people have contacted me letting me know they think it is a straight scam charging people $40.00 for application fees for apartments they think never existed. I allow people to write reviews of their experiences with landlords on my website and there have been exactly 35 negative reviews of their service and 3 positive for an average rating of 1.4 out of 5. Many people claim the three positive reviews were in fact “planted” by AEP themselves and found errors within their messages.

Most recently I was contacted by a Columbia journalism student and a person who used the service (who will remain anonymous) with detailed information on their experiences. I feel it is my duty to report this to the general New York City rental community because of this information that has been brought to me. I have been contacted as well by the Affordable Equity Project with requests to take down all the negative reviews, but when I asked for legitimate referrals or information I never heard back from them. I still welcome the Affordable Equity Project to contact me with concrete information about people they have helped as well as directly respond to the postings from the people below.

MY BOTTOM LINE: With over 30 negative, detailed reviews, negative standing with the Better Business Bureau and their lack of response to my own requests, I do believe the Affordable Equity Project is a well run scam. For the sake of argument even if an apartment exists for $1000.00 in Union Square- companies should NEVER accept an application unless the apartment is genuinely vacant. Reading through the reviews there were at least five applicants for one apartment. This should never be the case unless each one of them was contacted with reasons for being rejected and then they can accept the next applicants $40.00 for processing. A company cannot collect 5 or my guess about 50 applicants and $40.00 per application – process all of them and then “pick” the best applicant. Regardless, not one of these people allegedly even saw the apartment, they did blindly send the money in the desperate hopes of being the first to get it. Please read below for further information.

FROM ANONYMOUS: (a personal story in using the Affordable Equity Project service)
“I was really desperate to find something without paying a brokers’s fee, and when I saw their very professional looking website (www.equityproject.net), it gave me hope. I did not immediately send in money, as they only have listings available every few months. But they offer to send you an email once new properties become available, so I signed up.
When an email came in my box one day, and it happened to be in a neighborhood I was looking to live in, I jumped on it without much thought. I did call the office to ask a few questions, but the woman was reassuring and she said that they showed people the apt. based on who got the application in first. So I ran to the bank and got a money order, and sent it in that day. But then, after the first buzz of possibility wore off, I started questioning it further and started researching them online.

Here’s what I found:

  • They claim on their website that they are listed “in good standing” with the Better Business Bureau. This is misleading, as it makes it sound like the BBB is holding them to some standard. They are not members, nor are they accredited. Anyone can be listed, but there is no such thing as being listed in good standing. In fact, according to the BBB, out of 24 known complaints, only 2 complaints were resolved to the satisfaction of the consumer, and 6 were partially resolved. That is hardly a track record to brag about, or interpretable as in “good standing”.
  • I googled the company again, looking more closely this time, and this time I noticed that all of the “articles” about the company were put forth by the same person, Ron or Ray Subs, and always the same spiel, and on websites where there were no comments allowed.
  • I looked again at their website, and noticed that the FAQ’s all sounded kind of false and similar in tone. I also remarked that in the year I have been going to their website, they NEVER have any office space or condo listings, and that it seemed very strange in their FAQs, they say that there is no limit to how much someone makes to qualify for one of their low price apartments. It seemed to go against their mission to provide affordable housing to people who were struggling to find it, esp. since they only offer a few apartments every few months.

So, this was just a day later… I called them and asked them to withdraw my application when it arrived, and that I wanted to be notified when this was done. I got the biggest run-around. For weeks, I called and emailed every day, as I really could not afford to throw away $40. But calling so frequently and so doggedly made me see other things about how they run. Probably most people were not so determined as me, and just gave up their money. But I kept calling every day. One of the things I noticed was that it was always the same two voices. One was a man (“Dusty”), the other a woman. The woman’s voice in particular was very distinctive, kind of high pitched and nasal, and she sounded very smooth in a corporate customer service kind of way. Anyway, I always knew it was the same person, and so I started asking, “Who am I speaking with?” And then it became really comical, because each time she responded with a different name. I started writing them down after a while, and got Wendy, Holly, Sue, and Christy, all with the exact same voice. Each time, she had no idea how to answer my questions, but always said she would have someone email me and always with the same friendly voice. I asked to be called and she said okay, but no one ever did. I did get many email form letters, saying that they had received my concern, and would get back to me. I kept calling, and then I got a more personal email asking when I sent in my application. I responded, and then received an email saying he, “John Henderson”, would look into the matter. We went through a few rounds/repetitions of this, and then I finally said that I was reporting them as fraudulent and I was really upset about the run-around. To that, I got a final email saying,

“We will look into this for you, if a refund is warranted, then please allow up to 6 to 8 weeks for it to be processed for you. But please understand that our normal policy is that the processing fee is normally non-refundable. I hope this helps, if you have any other questions, then feel free to email us back.”

When I asked on what criteria they judged if a refund is warranted, there was no response, nor to any subsequent emails or inquiries.

FROM JOURNALISM STUDENT AT COLUMBIA

  • The Affordable Equity project communicates only by email. If you call the number on the website, someone at a call center will answer. He/she will take a message, which will be returned with an email usually from “Jon Henderson.” (Come on…) He/she at the call center doesn’t know (or pretends not to know) anything about AEP.
  • The company that designed the web site refused to give me any information about the people they dealt with while building the AEP website. They also answered my calls with emails and used first names only.
  • The people on the testimonials part of the web site do not exist. (That page hasn’t been updated in a year and a half by the way.)
  • Another reason for suspicion is that AEP doesn’t have a physical location–just a PO box in Long Island City.
  • I know that they bank(ed) with Washington Mutual, which couldn’t give me a shred of info because AEP is their customer.
  • Being “listed” with the Better Business Bureau, as AEP advertises, means nothing. The BBB awards accreditation to select businesses that have been reviewed, but will list anyone who provides information. http://search.newyork.bbb.org/reports.aspx?id=98005&pid=44&page=0&FindStr=Affordable+Equity+Project&SearchBy=company&Address=&City=&Phone1=&Phone2=&Phone3=&MembersOnly=False

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Rentenna’s NYC Celebrity Map, Who Do You Live Near??

by alicia on February 21, 2012


NYC Celebrity Star Map by apartment ratings and reviews site Rentenna.com

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How To Find an Apartment in NYC: Your Common NYC Rental Questions Answered

by alicia on February 17, 2012

How To Find an Apartment in NYC : How To Rent in NYC .com’s Rental Expert

NYC Rental Questions: Do I need a broker to rent in New York City?

This is the million-dollar question! The simple answer is “no,” you don’t need a broker to rent in NYC. But it is helpful to have one. Most management companies and landlords do not make vacancy listings available to the general public, but rather only to brokers. Why? Because for these companies it is easier to let a middleman (or woman) handle the work of actually leasing an apartment to someone else. The management company/ landlord does not have to show the place; the broker does it. The management company/ landlord does not have to fill out the paperwork for credit checks and leasing; the broker does it. However, there is a new shift of management companies/ landlords who make their vacancies available to the general public, and these limited listings do make it possible, to rent an apartment in NYC without a broker.

NYC Rental Question: So is it better to go through a broker or to do it on your own?

Most of my peers came to this city swearing they would never use a broker to rent an apartment. I swore that I would not use a broker. However, most of those peers (and I) gave in after a short period and hired one. Why? A few years ago there weren’t any “NO-FEE rental website“  to make appointments on your own. And the truth is, brokers have hundreds of listings that you do not have access to, they get the keys to the units more readily than you do and they help you get all of the paperwork together faster than you would on your own. In short, they cut down on time and effort for everyone involved. So, is it better to go on your own these days? That is up to you. With sources such as HowToRentInNYC.com and management company’s going online you do have the abilitiy to do so. If you have the time and energy I would suggest trying it on your own and seeing if you can find what you want is realistic. As you know, brokers will always be there to help…

NYC Rental Question: What’s a normal commission rate for a New York City rental broker?

The commission is the money that the broker earns for successfully renting you someone else’s apartment. You do not pay for them to show you apartments or for getting your paperwork together. You only pay if you rent and sign a lease for an apartment through them. As a rule, expect to pay about 15% in commissions. “Fifteen percent of what?” you ask. Fifteen percent of your first year’s rent. For example, let’s say that your rent each month is $2,000. That means that you pay $24,000 for your apartment over the course of an entire year. Fifteen percent of $24,000, ( that is, 24,000 x .15,) equals $3,600. Most brokers are negotiable to 12% which is considered “corporate rate.”

NYC Rental Question: Can I get around the broker if I sign one of those “fee agreements” at the brokerage companies?

The legal answer is NO! The Fee Agreement is designed to protect the broker from you going behind their back and renting the apartment without them. You signed your name to a contract stating that you will not rent this apartment with another broker or try to contact the management company directly for at least 180 days (the average fee agreement length of time). Make sure the broker gives you a copy of your fee agreement after they are done taking you to apartments. This way hi you have the list of apartments at your disposal, and that way, when you talk to the next broker, you can tell them what you have all ready seen and it doesn’t waste your time or theirs. If a broker finds out that you rented the apartment without their knowledge, and that broker works for a bigger company such as Citi-habitats, Corcoran, or Best Apartments, then be aware that they do have the time and the resources to come after you. You’ll definitely wind-up paying the fee, and if the case makes it to court, well…it could get worse. It isn’t worth the anxiety, well for most anyway.

 

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You asked: Apartments for disabled people in NYC?

by HowToRentInNYC on February 12, 2012

Where can I find apartments for disabled people in NYC

Hi- I have a son who will be moving to NYC next year after finishing Georgetown University. He is paralyzed and is in a wheelchair and needs a roll-in shower? How do I find an apt with a roll-in shower in the Village area.Thnx

Hello there,

I wish I had a clear website or source that provided exact apartments that are wheel-chair friendly but unfortunately one does not exist. This is a very hot button issue for New Yorkers. My suggestion is to look at new construction only since they should comply with the fair housing act. Majority of the village is pre-war construction so there won’t be as many options as midtown and uptown. ALSO- The article below shows that not all new construction landlords follow the law.

New Construction Companies in the Downtown Area (should be disabled friendly)

If you are a landlord have disabled friendly apartments- please contact me directly info@howtorentinnyc.com

DISCLAIMER: not all buildings are new construction and these have not been verified:

 

1. Stonehenge Properties

2. AD Real Estate

3. Vanguard Chelsea

4. Manhattan Skyline

5. Brodsky Management

6. CLS Management

7. ATA Enterprises

8. Nyrex

9. Hakimian Properties

10. Windsor Management

11. B&L Management

12. Ogden Cap

13. Regal Investments

 Disabled Friendly Apts in NYC: From the New York Times article “U.S. Says Many Apartments Violate Law on Disabled”

“Facing potential lawsuits by the federal government, developers and landlords in New York City may need to spend tens of millions of dollars to renovate more than 100,000 apartments built since 1991 to comply with federal housing laws barring discrimination against tenants who use wheelchairs, real estate industry officials say.

 

Avalon Chrystie Place, on the Lower East Side, has 361 units.

For 20 years, residential developers have complied with a city law requiring them to ensure that all the apartments they build are accessible to disabled tenants. Considered path-breaking legislation when it was enacted in 1988, the city law essentially meets the federal requirements of the Fair Housing Act, developers and city officials say.

But the United States attorney’s office in Manhattan has sent letters to about a dozen of the city’s most prominent landlords and their architects saying that some of their buildings were “not accessible to persons with disabilities,” which would constitute discrimination under the Fair Housing Act. The recipients included Related Companies, the Durst Organization, Rose Associates, Rockrose Development and Silverstein Properties.

The letters said that doors were not wide enough, and that kitchens and bathrooms were not big enough to allow someone in a wheelchair to maneuver. Also, the letters said, tenants could not install “grab bars” to lift themselves in or out of a tub, because the walls had not been reinforced.

The federal prosecutor’s office, which began sending the letters in January, has asked owners for meetings, building inspections and all the records of the design and layout of the apartments in specific buildings. Until recently, the real estate industry had hoped that the matter would quietly go away.

But last week, the United States attorney’s office filed a lawsuit against one of the recipients, AvalonBay Communities, and its architects, charging them with discrimination against disabled people by failing to provide sufficient access at Avalon Chrystie Place, a building on the Lower East Side with 361 apartments.

Now other landlords and developers — virtually everyone who has built an apartment house in New York City since 1991 — fear they may be next. Along with city officials, they assert that compliance with what is known as Local Law 58 satisfies the standards set by the Fair Housing Act.

“This is not limited to these 12 or 13 buildings,” said Steven Spinola, president of the Real Estate Board of New York, the industry’s powerful lobbying arm. “If there’s a decision that Local Law 58 does not meet the criteria for apartments’ being accessible, you could easily argue that every building built since 1991 wasn’t built in accordance with the federal guidelines.”

Mr. Spinola estimates that 100,000 rental apartments have been built since 1991, as well as thousands of condominiums. The cost of renovating bathrooms and kitchens, one developer said, would be “astronomical.” Another said that his company was already redesigning apartments for future buildings in ways that would eliminate foyer closets to provide more room for entryways.

City officials, who had scheduled a meeting with federal prosecutors for the day after the suit was filed against AvalonBay, promptly canceled it, furious that they had not been notified.

“In light of the U.S. attorney’s lawsuit, we postponed our meeting so we could assess the matter,” Martha Mann Alfaro, a deputy chief in the city’s Law Department, said in a statement. “However, we anticipate having productive discussions with the U.S. attorney.”

Rebekah Carmichael, a spokeswoman for the United States attorney, Michael J. Garcia, declined to comment, saying the office did not confirm or deny the existence of current investigations.

Edward M. Schulman, general counsel for AvalonBay, said the company’s housing was “fully accessible to persons with disabilities.”

“Our buildings have been constructed in compliance with New York City’s Local Law 58,” he said. “We are at a loss to understand why the federal government is suddenly viewing New York City’s Local Law 58 as deficient and unsatisfactory.”

This year, the landlords and architects enlisted the Bloomberg administration to help push back the federal prosecutors. And the Real Estate Board hired a former federal prosecutor, Sarah L. Shudofsky, to represent them.

Jonathan Durst, co-president of the Durst Organization, described the investigation as “an incredible waste of government resources.” The Durst Organization got a letter concerning the Helena, a 600-unit apartment building at 57th Street and 12th Avenue.

But Kleo King, senior vice president for accessibility services for the United Spinal Association, a nonprofit advocacy group, said that the federal government had never recognized Local Law 58 as an acceptable alternative, or “safe harbor,” to federal standards. She said that after Law 58 was in place, the city lowered clearance requirements for bathrooms and began allowing kitchen sink and cooktop installations that did not provide adequate floor space for tenants with wheelchairs.

“Just because they were able to get a building permit, it does not mean they complied with Fair Housing,” said Ms. King, whose organization used to be known as the Eastern Paralyzed Veterans Association. “The real point that the Department of Justice is trying to make is that people building these buildings have to look at both laws to make sure that they’re in compliance.”

Twenty years ago, advocates for the disabled hailed the stringent regulations in Local Law 58 while Mr. Spinola denounced it, saying it would drive up housing costs. It required that all new and renovated apartments be made accessible to the disabled, in contrast with federal standards at the time, which required that only 5 percent be accessible.

“It was seen as a breakthrough,” said Marilyn Saviola, an advocate for the disabled who was part of a group that helped write the city law. “But it was a hard battle. There was tremendous resistance from the administration, initially, and there was a great deal of resistance from the real estate community.”

In 1991, the federal government also raised its requirements for housing accessibility. But there is not a mandatory and uniform set of standards, although the Department of Housing and Urban Development cites the design standards set by the American National Standards Institute.

The federal investigation in New York began with a 2006 survey by the Fair Housing Justice Center, a nonprofit New York group, covering 14 recently built apartment buildings in Manhattan, including AvalonBay’s Chrystie Place.

Diane Houk, executive director of the fair housing center, said that her group found that all 14 buildings had interior apartment doors that were too narrow, 28 and 30 inches, thermostats as high as 63 inches from the floor and a lack of clear floor space in the bathrooms.

“We found that none were in compliance with the Federal Housing Act and referred all the information to the U.S. attorney and briefed HUD,” she said. “I do not understand why New York City developers and architects thought they were exempt.”

In a July 14 letter to the United States attorney’s office, however, Michael A. Cardozo, the city’s corporation counsel, wrote that the city’s law addressed all the features of accessibility required by the law. He acknowledged that it “does not impose precisely the same requirements,” but he added that the local law satisfied the intent of the law.

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The Benefits of Renters Insurance NYC

by Guest on February 9, 2012

While having renters insurance may seem like another way for insurance companies to take your money, it can actually be quite beneficial not only for renters, but for their belongings as well. Renters insurance can even be useful for guests in certain circumstances.

NYC Renters Insurance: Recovery

If a fire ever breaks out in your apartment or if items are ever stolen from it, your property will be covered by renters insurance. Your insurance company will have you value your belongings from items that are inexpensive, moderately expensive to luxury items that are worth over $5,000. In the event that you have to make a claim, the value of the items will be taken into account for how much compensation you should receive.

NYC Renter Insurance: Liability

Renters insurance will also come in handy if you are being sued and require legal aid. This kind of liability coverage might also be worldwide, so no matter where you go you’ll always have it. In the event that a guest is injured at your apartment and needs medical care, renters insurance will take care of that. For instance, if a friend comes over and slips on the stairs their doctor’s bills will be taken care of with renter’s insurance.

Renter s Insurance: Peace of Mind

Renters insurance is also great for peace of mind. You won’t have to worry about what you’ll do if your apartment is involved in a fire or if you have a break in and someone steals you most expensive belongings. Insurance can cost under $600 per year, which means about $50 per month. Those who have car insurance, life insurance or other policies may be able to get renters insurance at a discounted price, depending on the insurance company.

NYC Renter Insurance Quote

Contact InsuranceQuotes.org today and explore your options and receive a renters insurance quote. Don’t wait until you need renters insurance to get renters insurance.

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