How to check out apartments before renting

[ora289@yahoo.com]

I need help. I am considering renting an apartment for 1 month from a broker that contacted me after I asked about an apartment he posted on craigslist. I think he is legit, but I wonder if any of you have heard of Furnished Dwellings LLC, Morris Sabbagh. Also the apartment building I am considering renting from him is a high rise located on 60th between Amsterdam & Columbus. Does anyone know this building and what it is like? I guess it would help to have the name of the building but I don't know it yet.

[Front_Porch]

We are all licensed by the Department of State, and we are issued "pocket cards" with our name and our specific id number. (I think most people don't actually carry them, but they are shoved in a file drawer somewhere). Perhaps if you're feeling nervous you should get your broker to show you his ID.

ali r.
{downtown broker}

[ora289@yahoo.com]

Thanks Front Porch for you help and advice

[mrelectro123@aol.com]

Hi Ora289,

It is funny you mention Furnished Dwellings because i was recently wondering that as well.

I have been looking for a short term apartment for the past few weeks and was recommended Furnished Dwellings by a friend who's daughter stayed there last summer. I have not personally dealt with them but my friend seemed to be satisfied with them.

I am actually currently working on possibly leasing a unit for them, however i am not dealing with Morris Sabbagh, rather I am dealing with a Bunny Escava? Do you know him?
He seems nice and responsive..

I will let you know if I do rent from them as I hope to make a decision by this week.

hope I helped..

[The Benniest]

Found some interesting information within a Google search tonight...

http://www.degraeve.com/reference/questions-to-ask-before-renting.php

-Ben

[rdysetgo]

I used Furnished Dwellings service for eight months.

They claim to offer "long term" rentals, but be careful; they have the right to arbritrarily raise the rent on you.

The apartment I was in was under $3,000 per month (furnished Manhattan studio) when I initially used FD service. Three months later, they just unexpectly jacked the rent up over $3,500. Then, they kept raising it until it was almost $4,000. However, the exact apartment was listed on their website for the original price. Even now, after a rent increase, the same apartment is listed for much less than $4,000. It was so transparent that they were intentionally ripping me off. If you sign a multiple month lease with F.D., they cannot pull this scam on you. But, they do offer "month to month" tenancy, where they are legally allowed to raise the rent on you (to whatever amount suits them) at the end of each month! "Month to month" with Furnished Dwellings is a bad idea.... They will take advantage of you.

Furnished Dwellings also constantly made inappropriate requests/demands of me, like asking for money when I didn't owe it to them, asking for money before the date I owed it, asking to enter the apartment to "show" it all of the time, asking that I have NO GUESTS visit me. These requests were irrational and unfair. On several occassions, Furnished Dwellings accused me of creating problems in the building that weren't my fault. They accused me of allowing my pets to run all over the building, which never ever happened. Renting from Furnished Dwellings is like having an unmedicated, schizophrenic, controlling mother, who you have to live with when you are an adult!

Furnished Dwellings is also notorious for trying to enter your apartment and "show" it to potential buyers, WHILE YOU ARE IN IT.

When Furnished Dwellings no longer wanted my business, they used harassment and psychological tactics.

Finally, they informed me that they wanted me to leave the apartment. They gave me LESS THAN TWO WEEKS to prepare to leave the apartment.

I was very dissatisfied with Furnished Dwellings, particularly during the latter six months I dealt with them. They were nice and fair to me for the first two months, though. I also found Morris to be very friendly and respectful. Abraham, on the other hand, is very condescending and rude. Abraham once told me that he purposefully told his assistant to "yell" at me on the phone. How professional is that?

[fdny]

Her first concern regarding the raise in her rent. Section 23 of the lease which she signed clearly states that in the event of an extension the agreement must be signed and payment made in full 30 days in advance. Not once had she made the payments for her extension 30 days in advance. Furthermore, it would take weeks of calling and leaving messages to get a response from her and even then, she would make partial payments. Section 23 also states that “monthly rent and other charges are subject to change without notice” however, she was always given notice upon each extension which she agreed to. What she also does not take into consideration is all the overhead we incur to provide a FURNISHED apartment. we rent it unfurnished.

Secondly she reports that we would not let her have guests over. Our request was not that she never have guests over, we requested she not have guests over in the middle of the night. We were continuously getting phone calls from building management reporting that her surrounding neighbors were being disturbed at all hours of the night. This would incorporate her claim that she “arguably was not” noisy.

Section 13 of the lease expresses prime tenants right to enter the apartment at reasonable hours for maintenance or apartment showing. Ms. Chan details us constantly calling her and pressuring her to allow us to enter the apartment. We have not once entered the apartment without her consent.

In her final weeks we starting 0ctober 20th, after receiving a phone call from the building superintendent, we attempted to contact her about her apartment and her tenancy with Furnished Dwellings. Of the two phone number we had on file, she would not pick up either one. One mailbox was full and the other instructed not to leave a voicemail making it impossible for us to leave any message. After a few days we sent a representative from our company to possibly catch her at the apartment. He tried two times to have her contact our offices and was told each time to come back the next day. On the third day we left Ms. Chan a letter requesting that she contact our offices immediately as we needed her to move and offered to house her in a one bedroom elsewhere. At this point, she had signed an extension for the month of November and had not made any attempts of paying for it as the payment was due 30 days prior.

Lastly, I would like to bring to your attention the attached photos depicting the condition the apartment was left in upon Ms. Chan’s departure. There was not one thing that was salvageable. The walls needed to be painted, the carpet replaced, the bathroom repaired, and all furniture and accessories replaced costing us far beyond the security deposit we had on hand.

[Stern]

Seeing how this is a private issue. I think both parties would be best served conferring through private messaging. Instead of slandering each other on a public forum for everyone to see.

[stache]

^ What he said.