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IN THE TIMES: ON A LANDLORD'S DESIGN DECISIONS

This piece appeared in the Real Estate Section of Sunday's New York Times :

nytimes_nyreblog_com_.gifYour Design Taste Versus the Landlord's

by JAY ROMANO

Q Some time ago our landlord put up larger apartment numbers next to each door, even though we already had numbers. I thought they were ugly, so I took mine down. After receiving a threatening letter, I put them back. Now I am getting a $400 charge on my rent bill. Is this legal?

A "Tenants are typically required to accept a landlord's design decisions for a building's common areas," said Lucas A. Ferrara, a Manhattan real estate lawyer. So unless a lease provides otherwise, a tenant has no right to make changes or alterations in common areas without the owner's consent. He says that many leases hold a tenant responsible for the costs incurred by an owner to undo any unauthorized modifications, including fees for the drafting of the letter.

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