Q: I dwell in a high-rise luxurious rental constructing on the Higher East Facet. Not too long ago, constructing administration despatched out a “welcome bundle” that included a rule requiring tenants to make use of certainly one of three authorized transferring corporations for strikes in or out of the constructing. I plan on transferring out when my lease expires. Am I actually obligated to rent certainly one of these corporations regardless that I’m signing the contract and paying employees who can be transferring my private belongings into one other property?
A: Luxurious buildings have been recognized to enact insurance policies permitting the usage of just a few trusted distributors. They set these guidelines largely to guard their properties, with their fancy particulars and décor.
“The finishes in these buildings are very costly to restore,” mentioned Dan Wurtzel, the president of FirstService Residential New York, a property supervisor. “Landlords wish to not less than know the businesses which might be going there perceive the care that must be taken.”
However right here’s the issue along with your constructing’s tactic: If the rule isn’t included in your lease, it could’t be enforced. “The owner can’t come alongside and simply impose an additional restriction,” mentioned Jennifer Rozen, a Manhattan lawyer who represents tenants.
So examine your lease. If it doesn’t prohibit you to these movers, you possibly can push again. When you select your most popular transferring firm, ship administration a letter together with its identify and phone data, a certificates of insurance coverage that names the owner as an insured celebration, and a be aware stating that you’re inside your rights to decide on your personal movers. Take footage of your condo, the elevator and the hallways throughout and after the transfer, within the occasion that the owner factors out injury.
You may, nonetheless, wish to use one of many three urged movers. It gained’t damage to get quotes from them and discover out if they provide a most popular price as authorized distributors. In the event that they do, you would pay much less and keep away from a confrontation.
“Does the tenant need to spend so much of money and time getting an legal professional to put in writing a requirement letter in order that they will use their very own transferring firm?” mentioned Ms. Rozen. “Or do they only wish to concede and use one of many three and never cope with it?”
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