The holiday season may be behind us, but we’re in the heart of the winter fire season, with home heating—particularly space heaters—a leading cause of home fires and fire-related injuries. Thirty percent of home fires occur during the colder…
It’s every landlord’s nightmare: a leak, flood, burst pipe, or overflowing sink or appliance that goes undetected until major, expensive water damage occurs. Landlords and property owners are right to be nervous. In New York City, water damage in multi-family…
On November 12, 2024, new rules went into effect that require smaller properties to put residential trash in dedicated containers. The goal is to eliminate the mountains of trash bags that pile up on city streets. The first phase of…
If you own a rental property, you’ll want to make sure your landlord insurance includes Loss of Rents coverage. This special protection will replace lost income if a covered event requires tenants to move out while units undergo repairs. While…
Basement apartments in New York City have received extensive press as a potential solution to relieve the city’s ongoing housing crisis. Basement units can offer added revenue potential–but only when fully compliant with NYC law and building codes. Private entrances…
Landlords can require tenants to be responsible for sidewalk winter conditions per the lease agreement, but be careful. Even if you don’t live in the building and delegate responsibilities for snow removal to a tenant, that doesn’t absolve you of…
People call our office all the time, wondering why multi-family building insurance is so much higher than homeowners’ insurance. Sometimes they’re even wondering why an insurance company declined to make them an offer. To qualify for the best insurance rates…
New York City requires property owners to maintain the sidewalks adjacent to their properties. This requirement generally comes down to snow removal and sidewalk repair. Sidewalk violations The Department of Transportation (DOT) has oversight over New York City's 12,750 miles…
You don’t discriminate against potential or current tenants. You’re careful to treat everyone equally. So why do you need Tenant Discrimination Insurance? Because your potential liability goes far beyond your own words and actions. In some cases, what one of…
For properties with three or more units, New York City law requires that building owners install and maintain window guards for apartments where a child age 10 years or younger lives. Every window in the apartment, except those leading to…