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…
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…
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…
Landlords in New York City have specific responsibilities for protecting tenants from lead paint hazards. Local Law 1 of 2004, also known as the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention Act, outlines these requirements, which apply to multiple dwelling units that were…
Do you have the right amount of insurance coverage for your needs? From time to time, we speak with building owners in the New York City area whose properties are drastically underinsured. They pay lower premiums but receive an unpleasant…
When assessing the risks of insuring a property, landlord insurance providers use inflation indicators like the Consumer Price Index (CPI) to estimate payout amounts for potential claims. But one type of inflation that increases payout amounts (and, by extension, insurance…
As a property owner or manager, you’re responsible in many ways for the safety and security of your tenants, as well as passersby. For instance, if someone slips and falls on a wet floor, icy sidewalk or uneven steps, you…
The following article is a guest post by Rachel Watson of Precision Air & Plumbing. During summer, opening windows and doors can help you cool down. However, cold weather calls for central heating and stoking up your stoves. While it…