Ex-Tenant Review 200 East 87th Street

As an ex-tenant, I'd like to provide some insight to prospective renters as to how Olnick and Hampton Mgmt operated during my stay there. They don't mention any of the issues with the building that we discovered during our stay there. First, they lure the unsuspecting victim with a "no-fee" apartment and will demand two or more months of rent-deposit. Also, read the lease carefully about clauses... [more]

As an ex-tenant, I'd like to provide some insight to prospective renters as to how Olnick and Hampton Mgmt operated during my stay there. They don't mention any of the issues with the building that we discovered during our stay there. First, they lure the unsuspecting victim with a "no-fee" apartment and will demand two or more months of rent-deposit. Also, read the lease carefully about clauses that would put you at a disadvantage and get a lawyer to amend them. DO NOT accept the contract as is because they will do everything they can to hold onto your rent deposit. Second, we were unaware of the pipe issues in the building. We had neighbors in a studio down the hall who had their ceiling fall in and then Hampton Management/(aka Olnick Organization) kicked them out to try to hide this issue from the other tenants. I found out only because I was friendly with my neighbors. Third, there are definitely leaks and moisture trapped behind walls. This apparently has provided an ideal breeding ground for the hordes of silverfish, cockroaches, centipedes etc. that we dealt with almost on a daily basis. We continuously had issues with silverfish even when we had a maid cleaning the apartment every day. Each month an exterminator came by to squirt noxious stuff into all crevices and then seal up baseboards, etc. But none of these typical measures stopped the silverfish from coming. Fourth, beware of the elevators. The elevator was out for months due to a burned out motor. Management refused to replace it and did the minimal amount of effort to make it somewhat 'functional'. Ask other tenants about "Jerkiness", elevators shifting when the door is open, etc. Fifth, Samantha Chase was the Olnick representative that we dealt with and she was a nightmare. She is constantly looking for ways to squeeze a little more money out of you while you stay there. And *beware* when you are going to leave. She will do everything she can to hold onto your rent deposit. ( Hi Samantha, you were really a pain in the butt to deal with! I wouldn't wish *interaction with you* to my worst enemy) Sixth, Constant and vague mold smell in bedrooms. For the duration of our stay there, we found if we stayed in the apartment, we would always feel sick. When we went outdoors, we felt better. Given terminators always tried to block floorboards and crevices in baseboards, they mentioned to me that there must be alot of moisture behind the walls which are giving the right environment for these creepy-crawlies. Along with that is the right environment for mold and mold-spores to thrive. Seventh, there is a major gap between the floor and front door. Apparently, very large waterbugs like to crawl in through that space from the hallway. I installed ultrasonic pest repellers and these did not keep them out. However, on *several* occasions, I did see very large cockroaches that would sit on the walls just outside my front door. (that's all for now, more later) [less]