Save yourself the interminable headache of ever securing housing from Sublets in the City aka Sublets & Shares Int'l. They have an impressive looking website and a "testimonial" section giving prospective tenants the idea that they run a fair, legitmitate service but they are anything but, based on my
experience.
David Drake, the president, placed an ad on a community website advertising an apartment sublet which I responded to. I chose to take the unit and I handled the entire transaction with his agency over the phone and via emails. I received a signed "contract" which included certain stipulations I had
requested (for example, a paragraph clearly defining when my deposit would be returned and what unit # I was renting and what the move in date was—June 1st— all items that were not on the initial contract).
I asked that a hard copy be mailed to me in addition to the electronic version which I had. I provided a credit card number to which they would charge my deposit (at a percentage because they were too "small a business to cover the cost of credit card services and so surcharges had to be paid by the client"- that in itself was kind of shady).
I maintained communication with the agency as I gave notice to my current apartment, lined up employment (this was a state to state move), obtained storage facilities to accomodate what wasnt going to fit into my new apartment, got rid of a lot of things for the same reason, quit my current job, had all my mail forwarded and the million other details one has to take care of when they are moving from one state to another.
A few days before June 1st, in the midst of a sea of boxes and a million headaches, I got a smug email with no apology or even a sympathetic tone informing me—without any details— that the building was not ready and would not be ready to move into until "mid-June or early July."
Nothing was done to assist me or even respect what kind of a domino effect this would have on someone ready to be in a new apartment in a few days. The only thing the email said is that the agency would be "happy" to find temporary housing for me until the unit was available. Of course, all the offered properties were well beyond my price range. Oh and I cant forget to mention the part about how this was all "an opportunity to experience other neighborhoods in NYC."
A phone call to the president-Drake-resulted in an arrogant and impatient man telling an overwhelmed tenant that he "wasnt going to deal with the headache, it wasnt worth it" to him and that he was happy to refund any deposit involved. A headache to him??? At no time did this repulsive character even offer the slightest apology or any sense of professionalism. His manner of speaking to me conjured an image: an alley, a clownish man, and a trenchcoat laden with "rolexes."
I of course had no choice but to wait, I had already orchestrated every detail of my life towards this end and I had to do what I had to do. I couldnt afford any of the
"alternatives" advised by SIC but stayed with friends and family counting the days.
Well, you probably guessed it. Two weeks before the first of July, I received another email claiming that SIC was no longer handling the rentals at this particular building. Again, no responsibilty towards a person who had put down a deposit and had a signed agreement. No apologies, no alternatives
nothing.
I used my own legwork to contact the owners new representative who claimed not to know a single thing about SIC or any existing leases on the property. If I was interested, I was welcome to put in an application, except for one small detail: "my" apartment was now renting at almost double the advertised
and (my) lease-specified price.
Needless, to say, I didnt move in. After considerable hassle and more ridiculous attitude from this loser Drake, I got my deposit refunded. There is hardly anything that can "refund" all the headache and emotional distress, not to mention being homeless and all the fees I have incurred on storage facilites (overstay charges because I was supposed to be out by a certain date and then had to extend) unrefunded truck rental deposits etc etc.
A management agency is liable and should engage corrective action when things happen that may have been "out of [their] control"— and you never, ever treat someone who has paid you, with the level of disregard and disrespect that D. Drake has for the very same people that are ensuring his livelihood.
So dont do it. Do not ever ever use Sublets in the City or any other entity run by this guy Drake. Its a guaranteed invitation to disaster, a disaster he will do nothing to rectify. I dont care what the "testimonials" on his site claim, they're probably just figments of fraud, like my so-called apartment.
Sarah
New York, New York
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