Knickerbocker Village tenants to get rent refund

AREA's 13-building complex went dark following Hurricane Sandy

Knickerbocker Village
Knickerbocker Village

Knickerbocker Village residents who have not had power, heat or running water in the two weeks since Hurricane Sandy will get a rent refund, DNAinfo reported. Twenty five feet of flood water broke through four-inch steel doors and ravaged the 13-building complex’s boiler and electrical wiring system.

The 1,600-unit Lower East Side property is owned by AREA Property Partners and managed by Knickerbocker Village, Inc. AREA is still working through the details for how to return rent.

James Simmons, an AREA representative, said that as of last night, all of the units except 50 now have electricity. He also acknowledged residents’ complaints over management staying silent for weeks regarding the status of repairs.

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“It was our mistake in not being more forward and communicative as you deserve,” he told DNAinfo.

The complex is a subsidized rental property for middle-income individuals. [DNAinfo] Zachary Kussin