New York City Luxury Rental Blog Archives for September 2013

Apartment Rental Website Airbnb Wins Appeal

Airbnb, the San Francisco-based bed and breakfast startup, has successfully helped to win an appeal for one of its users whose landlord was fined $2,400 for renting out his apartment for three nights. The East Village tenant, Nigel Warren, fought the ruling with his landlord, Abe Carrey, and Airbnb, with the primary argument being that renting a room does not violate the law, as long as a resident under the lease is present during the guest’s stay.

Essex Crossing: the Future of the Lower East Side’s SPURA

Essex Crossing LES

The largest section of undeveloped, city-owned land south of 96th street is finally set for development, nearly 50 years after the area was originally razed for an urban renewal project. The Bloomberg administration has chosen the developers for the six-acre site known as the Seward Park Urban Renewal Area (SPURA) in the Lower East Side.

Smoked Out: City-funded NPO Pushing for Smoking Bans in NYC Rentals

No Smoking in NYC Apartments

New York City has been not so quietly waging a war (quite successfully) against smoking. Mayor Bloomberg banned smoking in bars and restaurants during his first term, and since then, others, including real estate management companies, have decided to establish their own bans on smoking. Now, a nonprofit is reaching out to landlords and tenants, encouraging them to ban smoking in their rental buildings.

Three's Company: Inheriting the Trump Organization

View From Trump World Tower

Donald Trump has reportedly chosen an heir to throne of his real estate empire. However, inheriting the Trump Organization will not be one of his children, but three of them. Trump told the Wall Street Journal that his sons Donald Jr. and Eric, along with daughter Ivanka, will all take over various aspects of the famous organization.

August Manhattan Rental Report: Month 26 of Increases

Manhattan Skyline from Brooklyn

If you’ve been putting off renting an apartment in Manhattan because of increasing rents, don’t hold your breath. The latest report by Elliman shows that Manhattan rents have now increased for 26 straight months. Yes, rents have been increasing on a monthly basis since the summer of 2011. The good news for renters is that the median rent last month only rose by 1.8 percent from August last year. The bad news is that there’s no reason to assume that rents won’t continue to rise.

New York City Luxury Rental Market: Summer 2013 In Perspective

Summer 2013 NYC

So, you’re back from vacation, and you want to know what news you missed out on during the summer months. Before we look ahead to the upcoming fall season, let’s take one look back on some of the biggest news to hit the New York City luxury rental market in the summer of 2013.

Suing for Greenpoint: There’s Something in the Water(front)

Greenpoint - Brooklyn, New York

South of Greenpoint, there’s Williamsburg—the trendy neighborhood with acres of new waterfront development. North of Greenpoint, there’s Long Island City—a neighborhood much like Williamsburg, with a new attitude and waterfront development. Then there’s Greenpoint—a neighborhood that recently was polled as the “roughest looking” neighborhood in New York City, which developers are, of course, eyeing for waterfront development.

The Apthorp Penthouses: The Up Top Down Low

The Apthorp NYC

The top floor of the historical Apthorp, a landmarked building located at 2211 Broadway in the Upper West Side, is up for grabs at $14,000 per month. In February, the apartment was purchased for $3,462,050 and has since received renovations and customizations including an additional room and custom Plato cabinets. It supposedly has never been lived in either.

Any other day of the week, this would appear to be your typical high-scale luxury rental listing. There’s a catch, however.