From The Miron Blog

Questions to Ask Before Signing a Lease: Does It Look Like I'm Walking Into A Crack Den?

By Miron Properties | Published on January 12,2012 at 4:22PM

A series in which we arm you with the right questions to ask before signing a lease.

The Question: Do the lobby and stairwells look like a crack den? If so, can I live with that?

Who To Ask: Yourself, kid

Every apartment hunter and realtor has been into one of those buildings that makes you feel like you’re about to be stabbed by a junkie as you turn the corner. They’re everywhere, especially on the East side downtown. Before writing the place off completely, determine which variety of crack den building it is: depressing throughout, or a creepy entry/public area with decent, updated apartments inside.

The latter is becoming increasingly common as landlords invest in the apartments but don’t take on the large cost of also updating the stairwells and hallways. If a graffiti-covered door and a dismal, dark stairway is going to depress you every time you come home, don’t move in. But if you can get past the weird entrance for the slightly lower rent and a good apartment, go for it.

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Tags: apartment hunting, nyc rentals, ugly lobbies