Landlords in Brooklyn: Let's share a part-time roaming "super"?

Landlords in Brooklyn: Let's share a part-time roaming "super"?

Rental Property Investor · Brooklyn, NY · Member since 2013 · 272 posts · 165 votes

Hello Fellow NorthWest Brooklyn Landlords!

We own & manage a few Multi-Family properties in NorthWest Brooklyn (Park Slope, PLG-Lefferts, Bushwick) which I've been managing without issue for the last several years myself.

Now that these properties are well-stabilized and pretty much on "auto-pilot" I'd like to think about outsourcing the day-to-day and month-to-month maintenance of these properties.

We've thought about subbing out to a proper "property management" company but we really don't need help collecting rent or expenses (this is all done electronically online) or even finding new Tenants on the odd occasion when we have an Apt turnover (we use Brokers for that) ...

The only thing we'd like to outsource are the one-off maintenance requests... Ex: If a tenant calls up to complain that their drain is broken or running slow, or that a light fixture needs replacement, or to spray the Apt with insecticide, or to fix a broken door-lock or window frame, or anything of the like such as the fast repairing, touching up, painting & cleaning needed during a turnover between Tenancies...

For the last 3 years we had a trusted Brooklyn-based 'handyman' named Pedro who we sent out to our apts as-needed and he handled their needs very efficiently, but alas, he is moving out of state this week and now we're in search of a new trusted 'Pedro...' (They're hard to find! )

The problem for us is that since we only manage approx 10 units which are fairly well-run and low maintenance, there simply isn't a lot of work to allocate.

Pedro charged $20/hour but we only needed him for a few hundred hours of work each year earning him approx $5,000-$7,000 extra per year. ( He worked as a part-time super for a few other much larger buildings so this was welcome supplemental $$$ for him)

If you manage properties in the area (say anywhere in the area loosely bordered by Sunset-Park, up to GreenPoint to Williamsburg & Bushwick, down to Lefferts/Flatbush (see red-circled area in map below) let's create a little 'union' to share a part-time roaming Super !

It would be win-win for everyone. The part-time Super would be happy to get significantly more hours, and we would all get someone reliable that we know & trust who understands basic plumbing, basic-electric, carpentry & painting to handle our tenants' needs as they come-up.

  • Do you already know someone like this?
  • Do you think they would want more work & more money?
  • Do they have their own car and their own tools?
  • Are they on Venmo, Chase-Quickpay or Paypal (to make it easy to pay them...)

If so, it could be a great fit!

Feel free to respond here, or DM me to discuss further!

Looking fwd to a great partnership! Thanks for reading !

Brooklyn R.

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Rental Property Investor · Brooklyn, NY · Member since 2016 · 71 posts · 35 votes
9y

My Pedro is called Mr. Scorpio, he is great. He ha s his own tools and reliable pickup truck. Any one interested in his references please send me reply, text or give me a call. I'm willing to share him just alittle. 

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  • Queens, NY · Member since 2014 · 153 posts · 64 votes
    9y
    This is a great idea. Wish I had a property in Brooklyn!!
  • Investor · Fairfax, VA · Member since 2016 · 31 posts · 8 votes
    9y

    This sounds like a great idea. For my purposes I would also want to have whomever be listed as the property contact for the Dept of Buildings since I'm moving out of state myself. 

    Did your Pedro do the trash as well? I have a person I pay 250 a month so I don't have to deal with it. It's worth it for me.

  • Rental Property Investor · Brooklyn, NY · Member since 2013 · 272 posts · 165 votes
    9y

    @Scott Williams  No to the trash - Tenants are grown ups and are expected to act like it. They are all collectively responsible for bringing their bins to the curb on the designated day and also shoveling after a snow storm ....  (These are 3-4 families, not 12+ family buildings so the work is really not burdensome... It's the same as if they were homeowners and had to do it themselves..)

    When I go there, I don't mind doing it if it needs to be done, but hell if I'm gonna do it for them on a regular basis.  (This is explicitly explained to prospective Tenants before they get the honor of moving in to one of our properties.)

    @Eric A. If you are anyone reading this knows of someone (another "Pedro") who might be interested, please message me!  We could all chip in make it worth his/her while....

    Please keep your ears to the ground on this!   (& direct people to this thread - Perhaps we'll get some take-up in the future...)

  • Investor · Brooklyn, NY · Member since 2015 · 65 posts · 18 votes
    9y

    This sounds right up my alley! We have a property in prospect heights and ocean hill. Interested to hear how you handle the trash and shoveling. We've always handled shoveling as we don't want to be responsible for a tenant not shoveling snow. At one property we make the tenants responsible for their own trash. At the other, we had to provide trash service since they pointed out that legally, it's the owner's responsibility.

  • Investor · Philadelphia, PA · Member since 2017 · 73 posts · 58 votes
    9y
    I just want to comment that I love this approach. This way the money you invest into property management goes directly there, not to overhead. I would totally join up if I were there. Best wishes on finding the next Pedro!
  • Rental Property Investor · Brooklyn, NY · Member since 2013 · 272 posts · 165 votes
    9y

    @Jon Ree

    Thanks!   Wishing you the best with your own properties!

    @Janel F.

    Re: Trash & Snow: We put it in the Lease that they are themselves responsible to clean up after themselves.  We also have a serious discussion with them about it (amongst other things before they move in) The idea is that we want the Tenants to think of their Apts as their "homes."

    If the building ever gets a $25 summons ticket from Sanitation (it happened once) we then bill it to the tenants in equal share. (1/3 each for a 3 family) and send a sternly-worded email.

    Re: Legal obligations - I know of no "legal" obligations to curb the trash on behalf of the Tenants that would supercede what was specifically agreed to in the Lease.  If they want to live at a nice place, they'll do it. (And they do) If we get a ticket, we always pay it promptly, but then recover it from the Tenants. 

    If  you can cite any reliable source that says otherwise, please lmk.  

    https://www.trulia.com/voices/Rentals/who_s_responsible_for_curbing_garbage_landlord_o-440628

    Staying on topic:  Who wants to share a Brooklyn-based roaming "Super" who is reliable & trustworthy, knowledgeable & experienced, and has tools & a car? 

  • New York City, NY · Member since 2017 · 2 posts · 0 votes
    9y

    This list is heavy with people who live in public housing or otherwise receive housing subsidies. But we’re not picking on poor people. The reason for the seeming imbalance is that there are branches of the city’s Department of Investigation and the Housing Authority that police the theft of government housing funds. Public-housing tenants are generally under much more scrutiny than renters who get no subsidies.

  • Rental Property Investor · Brooklyn, NY · Member since 2013 · 272 posts · 165 votes
    9y

    @Kate Meckler   

    ?  

    What does any of the above have to do with local Brooklyn Landlords/Property-managers banding together to collectively hire a roaming part-time Super to help out?

  • Investor · Brooklyn, NY · Member since 2015 · 65 posts · 18 votes
    9y
    Brooklyn R. I would like to thank you. I spoke with a lawyer and you are correct. I assumed that since I have to provide storage for recycling that I would also be responsible for curbing it. I'm in the process of overhauling my lease as we speak. I may know of someone who'd be interested in this position but I'm curious as to how it would be structured for the landlords? For ex, of more than one person is in need of service how would that be prioritized?
  • Rental Property Investor · Brooklyn, NY · Member since 2013 · 272 posts · 165 votes
    9y

    @Janel F.  How bout first call, first served?  

  • Investor · Brooklyn, NY · Member since 2015 · 65 posts · 18 votes
    9y

    @Michael G.that would work unless it was an emergency situation i.e. A leak or busted pipe

  • Rental Property Investor · Brooklyn, NY · Member since 2013 · 272 posts · 165 votes
    9y

    @Janel F.  - If you have further questions, suggest we sidebar.  DM me  privately

  • Investor · Fairfax, VA · Member since 2016 · 31 posts · 8 votes
    9y

    I've already PMd Brooklyn R. Some of the questions I have with the shared trash/snow responsibility is this: 

    1) Who curbs the recycling if it's a communal bin (we have to provide one)? 

    2) Who's responsible for keeping the sidewalk and 18" of the street clean? $100 ticket anyone. I'm sure the "they're not pulling their fair share" argument comes up at some point.

    3) Who's responsible for shoveling snow? How would they distribute that fairly?

  • Rental Property Investor · Brooklyn, NY · Member since 2016 · 71 posts · 35 votes
    9y

    My Pedro is called Mr. Scorpio, he is great. He ha s his own tools and reliable pickup truck. Any one interested in his references please send me reply, text or give me a call. I'm willing to share him just alittle. 

  • Rental Property Investor · Brooklyn, NY · Member since 2013 · 272 posts · 165 votes
    9y

    @Cynthia Brooks

    Thanks Cyntnia!!!

  • Investor · Milpitas, CA · Member since 2015 · 278 posts · 155 votes
    9y

    So I'm guessing only buildings with less than 10 units can participate?

  • Rental Property Investor · Brooklyn, NY · Member since 2013 · 272 posts · 165 votes
    9y

    @Andrew Wong  Nope - Open to all!    (I had just presumed - perhaps wrongly - that much larger buildings (say 12, 20 or more units already have a live-in super or some other arrangement in place...)

  • Investor · Milpitas, CA · Member since 2015 · 278 posts · 155 votes
    9y

    I'm still pretty new here but I thought buildings with 10+ units had to have a live in super, or one living really close by?

  • Rental Property Investor · Brooklyn, NY · Member since 2013 · 272 posts · 165 votes
    9y

    Agreed - That's what I thought too... Not sure if it's law,  but anyway, it makes sense..

    Regardless, anyone is welcome.  The more the merrier... Many hands make light work!

  • Rental Property Investor · Brooklyn, NY · Member since 2013 · 272 posts · 165 votes
    9y

    @Cynthia Brooks

    Just got a note from one of my Tenants - so I think I  just may well call your Mr. Scorpio!   Ill let you know how it goes!

  • Rental Property Investor · Brooklyn, NY · Member since 2016 · 71 posts · 35 votes
    9y

    Excellent!!! You'll be very happy. Reliable, quality work at a reasonable price. That's all any landlord wants. 

  • Brooklyn, NY · Member since 2017 · 39 posts · 13 votes
    9y

    I have a guy who I can text you his number or just google Kendu-brooklyn

  • Rental Property Investor · Brooklyn, NY · Member since 2013 · 272 posts · 165 votes
    9y

    Thanks Jorge! 

  • Investor · Brooklyn, NY · Member since 2015 · 43 posts · 11 votes
    9y

    @Michael G. -- Great idea on having a shared Super! I tried searching BP a few months ago to see if anyone used or knew of a service like this in Brooklyn, but I could not find any hits. I would definitely be willing to join to have a dependable and experienced Super / Jack-of-all-Tradesman who would handle one-off tenant requests. Please keep us updated; and count me in!

    Also, thank you for the info and link about curbing garbage responsibilities!

    @Cynthia Brooks -- thank you for the referral of Mr. Scorpio. I have sent you a message.

  • Rental Property Investor · Brooklyn, NY · Member since 2016 · 71 posts · 35 votes
    9y

    @Daniel C. - You are welcome

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