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Thanks so much for this. It was very helpful. Our landlord agreed to pay the fee. Another tenant is refusing to pay the fee also.

Even if it's in your lease renewal, you can argue that it is a new fee that would create a hardship (which is legitimate in your case) or be, in specific terminology, unreasonable.

You can refuse to sign the new lease on these grounds, but there is a specific process to do so which will result in a court case if your landlord fights it. You cannot be evicted during the process as long as you follow the process.

See page 23:

http://www.lsnjlaw.org/Publications/P ... Manuals/TenantsRights.pdf

Definitely call the Tenant/Landlord Relations for some guidance.

Remember to keep good records of everything. Put everything in writing and keep copies. Send any mail certified/signature required. Avoid verbal conversations, and if you have them, follow up with an email that summarizes the conversation points (ie; Dear Landlord, Thank you for speaking with me today. Just to summarize our conversation, I agreed to do this and you agreed to do that...)

Good luck and let us know what the outcome is. This is despicable behavior and I abhor landlords that don't care that fees like this are burdensome to the good tenants that work hard to pay already high rents. As you said, it's the cost of doing business.

It's a new fee imposed by the condo association. (The PMC tried to get us to retropay about 6 months ago and many renters in the building flat out refused)

However, you can appreciate $250/year is oddly high to file our lease? We can't afford it on top of the rent which is high. The landlord has said they'd split it with us. We have stated this is the cost of doing business for an owner who leases their property (as is doing maintenance and repairs) and they should take it up with the PMC to argue the cost is high if they feel it's exorbitant too. As I've noted in another thread (and all thanks to your support again!) it seems there are addendums in my lease that aren't legal so I don't trust their lease. I'll scrutinize the next lease renewal more carefully but I have to renew. The cost to move this year would be too much for my family when my spouse is ill.

You absolutely have rights. If this is an additional charge assumed by a tenant, it must be clearly stated in your lease that the tenant is responsible.

Check the specific language of your lease.

You should call the city's very helpful Office of Tenant/Landlord Relations on this question. They are pretty knowledgeable.

I lease from the Owner of my apartment. I do not work through the Condo Association's property management company to deal with my lease. It is done with the owner and the real estate company the owner depends on.

I am renewing my lease and they have told me there is a $250 annual lease filing fee the property management company of the building is imposing. I have spoken to other renters and as it is an Owner to Leasee building (not a full rental building where we work directly with the PMC) we all believe this fee should be part of the Owner's responsibility and essentially included in our monthly rent already. If the Owner doesn't like the high filing fee they should take it up with the PMC and Condo Association - not depend on renters like us to continue to be nickel and dimed on top of our monthly lease. One reason we went with an owner building is although the rents are higher - everything is included (instead excessive fees and deposits overall for pets, fees for pets, fees for parking, etc., etc. we get in rental buildings) It's one higher fee but all included.

I have told the Owner we won't pay it (you've all helped give me the courage due to my last issue with the owner where I refused to pay for maintenance) and we hope they encourage the condo association and PMC to reconsider such a high annual cost for 'filing' our lease. Do I have rights when it comes to this or is this a typical cost? As it can really add up.