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Tenants of an NYC apartment building have started a rent strike.
- After a man was crushed to death by an unreliable elevator, tenants of a New York City luxury apartment building started a rent strike, according to a report by the New York Post.
- Less than two weeks after the accident, tenants claimed the building's other elevator was still malfunctioning.
- Some of the tenants are forming a tenants association and have been advised to stop paying rent immediately.
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In August, a 30-year-old man was crushed to death by an unreliable elevator in his luxury apartment building - the Manhattan Promenade, located in Kips Bay on the titular island's East Side.
The New York Times reported that the elevators in the 23-story residential building had been unpredictable for years. Tenants of the building told The New York Times that, along with other issues, the elevators would "wobble erratically" and stop between floors.
According to a report by the New York Post, less than two weeks after the accident, tenants claimed the building's other elevator was still malfunctioning. According to the report, the faulty elevator has prompted some to form a tenants association and start a rent strike. The tenants have been reportedly advised by an attorney to stop paying rent immediately.
"You never think, in a building where I am paying $2,800 for studio, that you could die from the elevator," a tenant told the New York Post.
ATA Enterprises, the property management company that manages the Manhattan Promenade, was ordered to have a staff member on the elevator at all times, forcing tenants to call the lobby when they want to use it.
Despite being told the elevator is safe to ride, tenants say it is still shaky and has skipped floors.
"A doorman even accompanied people last week because they were scared and during that journey, it got stuck on a floor and they had to go to another floor to get out," a tenant told the New York Post in late August.
ATA Enterprises did not immediately respond to Business Insider's request for a comment.
Issues with New York apartments are part of a troubling trend. Weeks ago, two Manhattan landlords were caught renting out illegal sub-units with no windows, sprinklers, or fire-safety systems. In one of the illegal apartments, the ceilings were reported to be just 4.5 to 6 feet tall.