Guess Who’s Running for Governor??
The rent is too damn high guy is at it again … after his failed attempt at the NYC mayorship, this time around his too high-ness is aiming even higher – governor. As if a direct indictment on Franklin Avenue landlords, he was posted in front of the Franklin Avenue subway station earlier today campaigning against the high rents. Here’s a video of him on the campaign trail (video credit: Abeni G.).
Now, for the heck of it, we decided to check with rentometer.com to see if the rental rates he had posted on his sign were reflective of the neighborhood. According to rentometer, a 2 bedroom in the area generally goes for between $1400 – $2200. So, yes, if you’re paying $8,970 for a 2 bed on Franklin Avenue … your rent is TOO DAMN HIGH!
On another note, think he can beat Cuomo? As Abeni G. points out that he looks like a black Hulk Hogan – do you think that gives him a leg up?
On another more serious note … what do you think … is rent too damn high around here?
Popularity: 33% [?]
Rent around here is fine, but its too damn high in our current place: $2500/2bedroom on Parkway off Franklin. Great location but we had limited time to shop around, coming as we did from California.
Alas, the too damn high rent meant we were going to move at the end of the lease . . . we thought we would move within Brooklyn but given other considerations it made more sense to move back to California . . . we’ll miss y’all!
-d
I saw him out there on my way home from work, and it put a smile on my face. Definitely my favorite single issue party.
Compared to other other neighborhoods, Crown Heights still has some deals. However, I think the rate of rent increase in this neighborhood is too damn high.
When I first moved to this neighborhood in 2002, I rented a five bedroom house with some friends. It was two floors, had driveway, a garage and a yard; we paid $2500. When I moved in 2007, the two bedroom that I moved into cost a little less than half that.
Here, I have watched as my landlord slowly pushes our building out of rent stabilization with each old tenant that leaves. Last year, I saw a real estate ad for the one bedroom that shares a wall with my apartment, and it was going for more rent than we pay.
A lot of that has to do with the landlords in the neighborhood deciding that they need to do more than slap a coat of paint on the walls when someone moves out, you know, actually do some renovations. Sadly the renovations seem to include ripping out all of wooden doors and molding that make the turn of the 20th century buildings in the neighborhood so nice to begin with. Now that there is a market that will pay higher prices, landlords have a profit motive to care more about their tenants’ living conditions.
Also, you have to do significant amounts of work on an apartment to charge market rates if it was a rent stabilized unit. So renovations are how you legally get away with making the rent too damn high.
The prices around here a definitely on the rise. So barring some economic collapse worse than what spawned our current recession, one that actually affects NYC’s rental market more significantly, our neighborhood could in fact catch up to those signs. It will take way longer given the number of home owners and rent stabilized buildings; but the trend is only upward.
Daniel, sorry to hear that you are “going going back back to Cali Cali” (sorry, had to do it … I’m a Biggie fan).
When I first moved back to the area, I was living in Jersey City, paying $800 for a one-bedroom. My friends laughed at the number of coaches and mice that I had as roommates, but I was saving up to purchase my own place.
When I couldn’t take the squalor any more, I moved to Clinton Hill paying $1,300 for a one-bed in a Brownstone. Coming from New Jeruz, I actually thought that $1,300 was too damn high. Then, as soon as I moved out my landlord converted the one bed to a three bed and was charging somewhere around $2,500!
From Clinton Hill I moved to Crown Heights near Franklin for a spell, where I was paying $1250 for a 2 bed … And that was only about 3 years ago. So when I hear people paying upwards of $2,000 grand … I just couldn’t do it! Too damn high for my wallet!
And, yes, these landlords are destabilizing these buildings left and right. It is scary how many stories I hear. And I think that rather than doing renovations to jack up the rent landlords are just paying people to leave. Another legal means to get people out.
Now, on the other hand, as a person who owns my place, I must say that operating costs are too damn high! The cost of water – too damn high. Electricity – too damn high. Heat and oil – too damn high! Can I get a witness!? I’m going to need to start my own political party.
I’d like to be the first to welcome the Rent is Too Damn High guy to the USA, a capitalist country in which rents are set by the market. Complaining that rent is too high is like complaining that milk at a given store costs too much. If you don’t like it, shop somewhere else. Rent stabilization and control way more often destroys neighborhoods than saves them. Originally being from the Boston area, I saw what happened when Cambridge, formally a hole, ended its rent control laws and turned into a beautiful city.
Coming from NC where I own a 6 bedroom house for $1600 I have to say that rents are too damn high, but this is NYC.
I pay $2100 for a 3 bedroom duplex in a new building. I have no room to complain frankly given rent costs elsewhere.