Supermodel exploits legal loophole and skips rent for 2 years!

General Landlording & Rental Properties
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Supermodel exploits legal loophole and skips rent for 2 years!

Aaron DiCaprio
Rental Property Investor · Philadelphia, PA · Member since 2019 · 89 posts · 27 votes

According to a lawsuit, Ratajkowski and her husband (total net worth of $17M) have been able to live rent-free at their 1,100 square foot apartment because of an obscure New York state law called the Loft Law. Passed in 1982, the law prohibits tenants living illegally in former commercial or factory buildings to be evicted.

Apparently, the intent of the law was to help struggling artists (not uber-wealthy celebs) living in Manhattan studios from getting tossed out for not paying rent.  

Pursuant to this law, if a building doesn't have a residential certificate of occupancy, which would require landlords to bring fire and safety codes current, they can't evict tenants from living there.

The celebs' building doesn't have the required certificate so they can't be evicted.

They owe the landlord $120,000!!!

Unbelievable!!

Does anyone know of any other similar obscure laws?

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Eli Lederman
New York, NY · Member since 2018 · 215 posts · 50 votes
7y

welcome to ny

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  • Eli Lederman
    New York, NY · Member since 2018 · 215 posts · 50 votes
    7y

    welcome to ny

    3Reply
  • Max T.
    Investor · Philadelphia, PA · Member since 2015 · 3k+ posts · 3k+ votes
    7y

    Do you have a source article for this? very interesting

    0Reply
  • Kyle J.
    Rental Property Investor · Northern, CA · Member since 2012 · 5k+ posts · 5k+ votes
    7y
    Originally posted by @Max T.:

    Do you have a source article for this? very interesting

     Here you go Max: https://nypost.com/2019/03/02/emily-ratajkowski-and-her-millionaire-husband-are-living-rent-free-landlord-claims/

    1Reply
  • Jason D.
    Rental Property Investor · St. Petersburg, FL · Member since 2017 · 3k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    7y

    @Aaron DiCaprio so they were renting out an illegal apartment for $5k a month?

    I dont feel sorry for the landlord....

    0Reply
  • Nathan GesnerBusiness Member
    Moderator
    Real Estate Broker · Cody, WY · Member since 2010 · 28k+ posts · 41k+ votes
    7y
    Originally posted by @Jason D.:

    @Aaron DiCaprio so they were renting out an illegal apartment for $5k a month?

    I dont feel sorry for the landlord....

     They live there rent free simply because it doesn't' have a certificate of occupancy stating it meets current code. I'm pretty sure this power couple, worth $12,000,000 are not living in a slum.

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  • Aaron DiCaprio
    OP
    Rental Property Investor · Philadelphia, PA · Member since 2019 · 89 posts · 27 votes
    7y

    Sure, the landlord should've had the certification of occupancy current but still doesn't warrant losing $120,000 in rent.  I'd like to get more details on the lawsuit as this really seems like just another instance of spoiled celebs thinking they can do whatever they want.

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  • Jason D.
    Rental Property Investor · St. Petersburg, FL · Member since 2017 · 3k+ posts · 4k+ votes
    7y

    @Nathan G. I have no doubt the place is nice. But just as I dont feel bad for a thief being robbed, I dont feel bad for a landlord that tries to skirt the system, and then gets played by the same system he's trying to skirt.

    Do things right, and these things arent an issue

    1Reply
  • Dennis M.
    Rental Property Investor · Erie, PA · Member since 2018 · 6k+ posts · 9k+ votes
    7y

    This woman has a questionable history with other shady people such as amy “ shamoo” Schumer . She’s a shyster 

    0Reply
  • Johann Jells
    Rental Property Investor · Jersey City, NJ · Member since 2011 · 1k+ posts · 876 votes
    7y

    I used to live in Downtown "loft country" in the 90's. It is actually illegal under the loft laws for non-artists to live in those buildings! But it was not enforced, hence you got doctors, lawyers and models living in a legal cutout for artists to be able to live and work in the city. It was a disaster.  I heard some crazy stories, a guy in my building was blackmailing the owner for key money even though he didn't live there anymore and had illegally sublet it out! When I moved out to my own rental property my landlord told me "I have one word of landlording advice for you: Goons".

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