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Everything You Need To Know About Renting An Apartment In Brooklyn

Liena Zagare

Jun 16, 2016 — 3 min read

It is no news that finding housing in this city is not easy under the best of circumstances. Should those circumstances change, here are some resources to help you stay in your neighborhood and avoid shelter. We write regularly about housing, so check back here for the latest stories and resources, and email us at editor@bklyner.com if you have a story to tell. Please do share this with your friends and neighbors.

The basics of being a tenant. A little while ago we compiled a comprehensive list with the Flatbush Tenants Coalition that will tell you things you should know and rights you have, as well as who to turn for help and advice, if you’re like most people in Brooklyn and rent your apartment. Here are the highlights:

Find out if your building is rent regulated. If you signed a lease that looks like this, then your apartment is rent stabilized. Also, any building built before 1974 with six or more units in it is generally rent stabilized.
Get your rent history. If your apartment is rent stabilized, you have the right to obtain a history of rent charged for your apartment. When an apartment is vacated, landlords are only allowed to raise the rent by a certain percentage, but there’s very little oversight. And if rent reaches $2,500/month, the apartment becomes unregulated, so they have an incentive to cheat. By obtaining your history, you can try to determine if your landlord is charging you an illegally high amount.
Research whether your landlord has any current housing court cases.
Find out if there’s a tenant association in your building. If there isn’t, consider starting one.
Know the difference between rent stabilized and rent controlled.
Know what “affordable housing” really means.
Know your rights as a tenant.
Understand that the conditions you live in may not be the conditions your neighbor in the next apartment over lives in.

Flatbush Tenants Coalition is an excellent resource should the landlord be trying to get you to move. Their role is to support and help build tenant associations, and educate residents about their rights as tenants. It operates under Flatbush Development Corporation. They may be able to help if what you need is:

Helping tenants organize their buildings
Providing peer mentorship and support, where FTC members share their experiences & knowledge with other member buildings
Providing tenants-rights and political education, including information about national, state, and city housing agencies, regulations, and laws; and the role of elected officials and community boards
Working with tenant associations to develop building campaigns to obtain repairs, maintenance, and/or address other issues
Helping tenant associations obtain pro bono lawyers
Helping tenant associations document their successes
Collaborating with other organizations on joint workshops and actions
Conducting outreach in other buildings to grow the FTC
Holding neighborhood-wide tenant meetings to provide information and call to action
Identifying, planning, and taking part in neighborhood, city, state, and national tenants’ rights campaigns

Other resources:

Fair Housing Justice Center – http://www.fairhousingjustice.org/
South Brooklyn Legal Services – http://www.sbls.org/
Legal Aid – http://www.legal-aid.org
South Brooklyn Tenant Union – http://www.carrollgardensassociation.com/employing-a-childcare-provider/

Homebase is the City’s homelessness prevention effort, and there are offices in all 5 boroughs. In Brooklyn, and in our neighborhood CAMBA is one of the main providers of the services, helping find solutions that work for the individual or household in need. Among the services that may be offered are: