Kew Gardens apartment residents claim landlord abuse
Vantage delays fixing elevator: Tenants
By Anna Gustafson
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| Kouroush M. Nassimian said Vantage Properties, the management company of his Kew Gardens apartment building, has failed to make needed repairs and has not cashed his rent checks for months in what he says is an attempt to force him from his home. Photo by Christina Santucci |
Residents living in a Kew Gardens apartment building owned by Vantage Properties are railing against their landlord, accusing the company of taking too long to fix an elevator on which many disabled and elderly individuals and parents rely, being generally unresponsive to concerns and attempting to harass and evict rent-stabilized tenants.
Many of the individuals living in 110 apartment units in the building at 83-30 118th Street in Kew Gardens are protesting Vantage’s recent announcement that the building’s broken elevator will not be fixed for months, saying the move has essentially trapped disabled and older residents.
“I have two blown knees, a shoulder blown out and I’m diabetic,” said a fifth-floor resident who wished to remain nameless for fear of repercussions from Vantage. “I go out twice a week now. We’re being held captive in our own apartments.”
Second-floor resident Kourosh Nassimian helped to organize a meeting at the end of June to discuss tenants’ frustrations over the elevator with Vantage representatives.
“At the meeting we collected signatures and sent it to the [city] Department of Buildings asking for a reduction from the rent because you’re entitled to get a 10 percent reduction in rent if you don’t have an elevator,” said Nassimian, who has lived in the building for nearly 30 years.
Many of the individuals living in 110 apartment units in the building at 83-30 118th Street in Kew Gardens are protesting Vantage’s recent announcement that the building’s broken elevator will not be fixed for months, saying the move has essentially trapped disabled and older residents.
“I have two blown knees, a shoulder blown out and I’m diabetic,” said a fifth-floor resident who wished to remain nameless for fear of repercussions from Vantage. “I go out twice a week now. We’re being held captive in our own apartments.”
Second-floor resident Kourosh Nassimian helped to organize a meeting at the end of June to discuss tenants’ frustrations over the elevator with Vantage representatives.
“At the meeting we collected signatures and sent it to the [city] Department of Buildings asking for a reduction from the rent because you’re entitled to get a 10 percent reduction in rent if you don’t have an elevator,” said Nassimian, who has lived in the building for nearly 30 years.
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