Landlord Normandy Real Estate Partners and managing agent Colonial Management Group have been denied permission to raise rents at a Bronx housing complex at 1511-1521 Sheridan Avenue by the Division of Housing and Community Renewal, a triumph for tenants of the complex who organized their efforts to fight the hike early last year.
The more than 100 tenants, who grouped together to challenge the landlord’s request in April, claimed that Normandy had not made the improvements to the building that it was claiming in its application; the buildings still had roof leaks, broken elevators, defective electrical wiring and broken security cameras, they said. They also enlisted the help of non-profit tenant advocacy group Community Action for Safe Apartments and lawyers from the Urban Justice Center to file a letter of opposition with the Division of Housing and Community Renewal.
“Given the shoddy work done by the landlord and the significant amount of serious housing code violations that exist in the building, it was absurd for the landlord to think it deserved to sock the tenants with a million dollar rent increase” said Garrett Wright, staff attorney at the Urban Justice Center. “Fortunately, tenants came together to fight this ridiculous [proposal.]”
Normandy was allegedly proposing a monthly increase of over $20 per room per apartment, which would amount to around $1 million per year in the 221-unit complex.
Neither Normandy nor Colonial were immediately available for comment. A representative for DHCR did not immediately respond to a request for comment. — Katherine Clarke