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Today on “WWYD,” paying your rent, but still seeing the money in your account:

SO. I pay my rent with a check, which I give to the super, who puts them all in an envelope and sends them over to the management office which is another part of town, and they cash them. Usually, they’re pretty quick, although they were stressfully not quick with my deposit (though that is a completely different story), and it usually comes out of my account the next day or within the week. But this month, 10 days pass, and it still hasn’t come out of my account. I’m just about to call and ask what’s up when I get a notice saying my rent is late.

I run into the super the next day and she’s like, “I remember getting your check, and they do this all the time, and I’m sure it’s fine.” So I call the management office, and they tell me their records show I paid on March 1st. I tell them that it hasn’t come out of my account, and the woman at the management office says, “Well, as far as we know, you paid—you’ll have to phone your bank.” I hate using the phone, so I checked my online banking instead, and there is no record of a check coming out of my account on that day at all.

I ran into the super again and told her what happened, because I had given her another check to send them, and she said, “Well, if they said you’ve paid, you’ve paid!”

So my question is, do I have to convince them that I have not paid, or assume some mysterious benefactor has paid it for me? Have I done my due diligence already by telling them it didn’t come out on my end? Because an extra month’s rent in my account would not be unappreciated. — M.

I think the confusing part of this question for me is that you were told by the rental management office that you paid your rent on March 1st, yet you still received a notice from them saying that your rent is late. I would have asked the woman at the management office, “If your records show that I paid on March 1st, why did I receive a notice saying that my rent is late?” There had to be some kind of mixup this month for that to happen.

I know you said you hate getting on the phone, but I’d call up the bank and ask them if the check has been processed, or if there might be a hold on it for any reason. There is probably not a mysterious benefactor at work here. The management office may have received your check, but misplaced it before they could cash it—which could mean they could find it soon and take it to the bank. I would count that rent money in your bank account as good as cashed for now. A few months ago, I wrote a post about how my management company mistakenly sent me a notice saying that I had forgotten to pay rent one month two years ago. They were wrong, but this goes to show you that management companies can make mistakes, and that they’re also willing to pursue payments months and years from now if they think they didn’t get paid.

If having money in your account that you know you can’t spend really bothers you, you could talk to the management office again, lay out the explanation, tell them that you’d like to give them a new check to process if they agree to allow you to call your bank and make a “stop payment” request on the original check that for some reason hasn’t been cashed. If this is an option, I’d also ask if the management company is willing to pay for the stop payment fee, which can be around $20 or more. You’ve done what you’ve could so far—if this is a mistake on their part, they should pay the fee for you.

Email me your WWYD experiences to me with “WWYD” in the subject line. See previous installments.

I was gone for a little more than a month during the holidays—visiting family out West, and then housesitting for a few weeks for a friend. During that time, my rent was paid in full, but my place was unoccupied. I considered subletting it while I was away, but a friend of mine who works in the city’s legal department advised me against doing it. Unless I found someone to stay for a full 30 days, renting out my apartment for a short-term rental would be illegal. Plus, according to my lease, I’d have to notify my landlord that I’d be away and that I would be subleasing my apartment for a month. I ended up deciding to avoid the hassle and leave my apartment empty.

Of course, not everyone takes the time to take all of these things—city laws, fine print on leases—into consideration when making their homes available on sites like Airbnb. Back in November, the Times told the story of 30-year-old Nigel Warren, who was hit with nearly $40,000 in fines for illegally renting out his East Village bedroom for three days while he was away in Colorado.

WNYC has an update to his story today: Warren has learned that he can admit to the violations and get his fines reduced to $6,000, or let his landlord deal with the violation notices and get evicted from his apartment.

But Airbnb also has a huge stake in Warren’s case and sent one of their lawyers to observe the proceeding, which has been delayed until later this month. The company has reportedly paid $30,000 to a lobbying firm to speak to New York lawmakers about changing the law to make it legal for people to rent out their places for short-term stays.

Not everyone wants these laws changed, of course. Neighbors are often concerned about having a revolving door of strangers in their building, and short-term renters, unlike traditional hotels and hostels, aren’t required to provide information or backdoor instructions on what to do in case of a fire or other emergency.

I may not ever list my apartment on Airbnb, but I’d certainly consider using it when traveling to find a nice, affordable place to stay (Chiara and Edith reported at The Hairpin that they used Airbnb recently while traveling to Paris and London respectively, and both had very positive experiences). I like the service Airbnb is trying to provide. Is it contributing to higher rental prices in cities like San Francisco and New York and pushing out locals? Unclear. Does it provide an unsafe environment for neighbors concerned with strangers coming into buildings—another maybe, and Craiglist has filled that role for some time now. We’ll have to see what happens to Warren, and what the lobbyists end up accomplishing.

Photo: Samantha Bell

This weekend, I received a letter from my landlord notifying me that I owed him one month’s rent because apparently, I had forgotten to pay rent one month two years ago. I freaked out, of course, because A) What? I forgot to pay rent? and B) Unexpected bill! and C) No, seriously, how could I forget to pay my rent?

After closely examining two years of rent payments, it turns out that no, I did not forget to pay my rent one month two years ago—my landlord had forgotten to include one of my rent checks in his ledger. I don’t know why he waited two years to tell me this, but after collecting copies of all my rent checks online and presenting all of them to him, the matter was cleared up this afternoon.

I’m not sure if there’s a lesson here besides: Make sure you have easy access to copies of major payments you’ve made somewhere. Thankfully, Chase had electronic copies of two years’ worth of checks online.

• Good light
• High ceilings
• Wood floors
• Good view
• Windows in every room
• Trees you can see from windows
• Roof, porch, patio, or balcony
• A square of grass or a window box or a garden or a yard
• Space for guests
• Working appliances
• Garbage disposal
• Dishwasher
• Laundry nearby or in building
• Parking
• Clean bathroom
• No roommates (If roommates: great roommates)
• Affordable rent
• Proximity to coffee
• Proximity to good grocery store
• Proximity to good bars
• Proximity to park
• Proximity to transport
• Proximity to work
• Proximity to friends

If you live in most places: Great list
If you live in NYC: Pick one, maybe

Consider, for instance, that the average rent in London recently broke £1,000 (over €1,200) per month, or that a studio apartment without a doorman in Manhattan fetches an average $2,200 per month (€1,697) and a one-bedroom just short of $3,000 (€2,315). Meanwhile, an average-sized apartment, measuring 70 m² (about 750 square feet), at the average Berlin priceof €7.38/m² (compared to upwards of €20/m² in Paris) would ring up at €516.60. The difference is obviously staggering.

And it’s a touchy topic here. Bring up the fact that Berlin’s rent prices have, until now, been scores cheaper than in almost any major comparable Western/European city on average, and Berliners will batter you with a slew of reasons why it’s an unfair card to pull out.

Next American City has a very interesting post looking at Berlin’s history, and why rent there has remained so low compared to other major cities. Basically: Berlin has gone through a lot of hard times.

The cost of renovation following years of neglect can range from $150,000 to several million dollars. They also must meet strictly watched local, state and, sometimes, national building codes. Financing isn’t available, so potential curators must demonstrate they have either substantial nest eggs or ample do-it-yourself know-how to invest. And, in the end, most will never see a dime in return for their hard work.

Still, for some, the opportunity to live in a historically significant home is payoff enough.

“We anticipate our costs will end up being about the same as paying two years worth of rent in New Jersey,” Clarke says. “Then we’ll have 23 years of living rent-free in this amazing home we might not be able to afford otherwise.”

Many government-owned historic homes and buildings remain empty, isolated and boarded up, on the fringes of state forests or parks.

“It’s not like George Washington slept here,” says Jim Hall, who runs Delaware’s curator program. The state’s park system owns more than 220 properties. “Even if I had the funding to save them all, I couldn’t find a good public use for them.”

—This is fascinating. Some states can’t afford the upkeep on all of the buildings they own, so they have started letting people live in them for free if they agree to fix them up. You have to have the money for the repairs (banks won’t loan you money to fix up a property you don’t own) and “every nail you buy is a donation you’re making” to the state, but for some people, it’s a way to live in a house they’d never be able to afford. It seems kind of crazy to put a lot of money into a house that you don’t own, but if you look at it as pre-paying your rent, and then having free rent for a long time on top of that, it seems rather smart! Also some states let you use the properties for commercial purposes, which: $$$$$$$.

I divulged yesterday (and everyday of my life) that I’m an idiot with my own money, mostly, a truth manifesting itself this week by my having spent a chunk of my rent money on bodega coffee, ice cream, and tips. Just wanted to update any and all concerned parties that this morning I asked a friend (who I’ve known for … maybe a month?) to lend me $100, so I’m good. I’m gold. (He is also of the school of being dumb with money, but I knew he just got paid. Also, is this how junkies do it?)

He was like, “You’re good for it, right?” (“Right”), then hit the ATM, where he requested a withdrawal of $100 and was given $120. See? Everything works out for everyone, always. Sometimes it pays (your friends) to be irresponsible. And I get to carry on doing what I do without consequences for another day.

PS I am usually the most honest of honests, but I am also 100 percent in favor of it being totally cool for my friend to pocket that twenty. Mike Dang, counterpoint?

This morning I wrote a rent check for $700. I only have $684 in my bank account (so close, yet). This is somewhat stressful but not too stressful, as it occurs with such regularity that it’s become banal. These things happen, and then they usually work out. Either money comes in from somewhere or the landlord doesn’t make it to the bank for a few days or, worse case scenario, my check bounces, I incur fees and have to apologize and promise it will never happen again.

I was sitting here trying to think about how this happened, then I remembered: this is how it always happens. When I have money, which I did up until a few days ago, I spend it in a vacuum, totally disregarding how long that money is meant to last me, or what other creditors might come tapping into my account. Why does this feel like this happens every month? That I am always scrambling to cover my rent or my credit card bill or my insurance check? Because it does, practically.

The following is a selection of gchat conversations and emails from 2006 to the present, found by searching for the phrases: “i hate money,” “i am an idiot,” “i am a failure,” “i am so poor,” and “i am so broke.” They have been edited for clarity, and in some cases, content. I say often, “I don’t know what to do.” That is lie. I know exactly what to do. I just don’t want to do it. 

December 2006
‪Me‬: I hate money
‪Kate‬: i hate not having it
‪Me‬: yeah maybe thats the root sentiment
Me: im looking at shit online and just found a money clip that has this yiddish proverb on it: “With money in your pocket, you are wise and you are handsome and you sing well too.”
‪Kate‬: hahaha that’s awesome
‪Me‬: theres another one with this oscar wilde quote, also very appropriate: “Anyone who lives within their means suffers from lack of imagination.”
‪Kate‬: ugh
Kate: i do not spend money i don’t have
Kate: credit card debt — the thought of it — makes me panic horribly
‪Me‬: yes well i have some
Me: $7k
Me: and it is a specter that haunts me
‪Kate‬: that is terrifying
‪Me‬: i don’t know where it came from
Me: i mean i sort of do

September 2007
Me: im a failure at life greg
Me: this is me
Me: failing at life
‪Greg‬: why?
‪Me‬: money
Me: i just can’t get myself together
Greg: Oh well I just got a new job?
Greg: It’s a pretty good one
Me: …
‪Greg‬: what’s wrong?
‪Me‬: i am having such a hard time being an adult
Me: i have $116 in my account
‪Greg‬: how’s the CC bill?
‪Me‬: i got a notice that i missed a health ins payment and they are going to cancel if don’t pay in 10 days
Me: Oh thats back up to $1,000, please
Me: i just don’t understand
Me: i am so stupid
‪Greg‬: are you making money right now?
‪Greg‬: do you have a job?
‪Me‬: kind of
Me: But I’m also taking spanish classes? for $200 a month?
Me: And ballet classes, $200
Me: And a sewing class, $150
‪Greg‬: You’re PAYING for this stuff?!?!?!
‪Me‬: why did i do this to myself
Me: why
Me: why
Me: why
‪Greg‬: what are you DOING?!
‪Me‬: i don’t know

September 2007
‪Me‬: i am a failure
Me: i overdrew my acount
Me: and have been for the past WEEK
‪Greg‬: ….
‪Me‬: i am so stupid
‪Greg‬: efff
Greg: how did this happen?
Greg: are you broke?
Me: yes
Me: ill have a check for work on tuesday
Me: so thatll cover that stuff
Me: but like
Me: then rent is due
Me: and i dont know what happend to me
Me: i mean i used to be smart
‪Greg‬: it happens
Greg: we all get dumber with age
‪Me‬: i peaked in like 8th grade
‪Me: My mom’s actually told me this‬

September 2007
‪Greg‬: I wish we never had to work and could just sit around and ponder life all day
‪Me‬: Isn’t that basically what we do?
‪Greg‬: Well … yea
Greg: But we have this added stress of MONEY, which … can’t let us reach enlightenment
Me: Yes. It’s the money’s fault.

October 2008
To: Jill
From: Logan
Subject: (no subject)

i am so screwed and i don’t know what to do
i overdrew my account big time – it’s like at 100 bucks in the red right now
but that’s after like 6 transactions
each which is going to give me a 35 dollar fee
so tonight it will be like 300 in the red
and then i’m going to keep getting those effing fees all week
i get paid on friday
i guess like 500 bones?
but i have a 180 credit card bill due saturday
i just tried to transfer balances so i can get cash from my credit card but it takes like a week or something
i don’t know how many times i’m going to do this to myself before i effing shape up and pay attention
that is all
had to vent to someone
ack
love, logan

October 2011
Me: i am looking at my dollars for the first time in a long time
Me: PROBLEMATIC
Me: it really is unbelievable that i do this to myself
‪Mike‬: Um. That’s what happens when you live your life like a gansta without income

November 2011
‪Lisa‬: i’m ok
Lisa: stressed
Lisa: but ok
Lisa: how are you?
‪Me‬: also stressed and also ok
Me: im sorry your’e stressed :(
‪Lisa‬: i’m sorry you’re stressed!
‪Me‬: mine is par for the course, money stuff that’s come up because i ignored it for weeks (months), as usual
‪Lisa‬: :(
‪Me‬: i managed to put out all my fires, but only by using those terrible terrible terrible “convenience checks” they send you in the mail
Me: TERRIBLE

February 2012
Me: I know I always say it’s going to be the last time, but this time I really mean it
Me: It’s time to be a grownup
Me: Only spending money I have: Go.

March 2012:
From: Me
To: Emily Books
Subject: (no subject)
emily and ruth,
due to a meltdown at ikea in which i forgot i’m a Poor Person, i just had to cancel my auto paypall payment for tomorrow so i don’t overdraw my account (oh and did i mention i’m launching A BLOG ABOUT MONEY!?!) anyway, i get new funds in a few days and then i’ll reinstate it and send you your dollars. SO SORRY ABOUT THIS.

April 2012:
Me: I’m never going to change, am I
Me: No, you’re never going to change
Me: But I really want to change
Me: History isn’t really in your favor on this one

Photo Credit: flickr/ Klearchos Kapoutsis

Not Adam's house

The following conversation took place on gchat, and has been edited by both parties for punctuation, capitalization, general readability, and intent. Some failed jokes have been taken out (some have been left in).

Logan Sachon: Adam Frucci. You are a 29-year-old person with a mortgage in Brooklyn. What’s that like?

Adam Frucci: It’s great, for the most part! I like being able to do whatever I want to my place. And feel like I’ve made a Grown-Up Investment. It’s only lousy when I need to fix something and pay for it myself, but that doesn’t happen super often.

Logan: What have you had to fix?

Adam: Well, we had some pretty bad leak damage from the hurricane, and some before that as well, but that was all covered by the builders warranty so it ended up being a lot like renting: I waited way too long for some lazy dudes to do a half-assed job fixing it, but I didn’t have to pay anything. But things like scuffed up/scratched flooring I know will be on me to fix down the line when it comes time to sell. And scratched doors and cabinets, that sort of thing. I haven’t really had to pay to fix much myself, but I am just more aware of the general wear and tear of the apartment.

Logan: You don’t make homeownership sound very sexy. “I’m more aware of scuffs.”

Adam: Haha sorry! It’s not that sexy, I don’t think? It’s about as sexy as preparing your taxes well and early.

Logan: Can we talk about how ownership came about for you? What made you think you could own a little piece of New York City?

Adam: Well, I was looking to rent and was looking at places in Prospect Heights, where I had been living and wanted to keep living. And there was a new building that I kept walking past, and I went to an open house kind of on a whim. It was the first time I really did the math and realized that the mortgage payment from buying would actually be a bit less than the places I was looking at, and the apartment would be nicer. This was also when the First-Time Homebuyer’s Tax Credit* was available, which made the whole thing seem more attractive. And as a huge fan/booster of Prospect Heights, I was (and am) a firm believer that it would be a smart place to buy as it was getting nicer by the week. And it has! So it all just kind of fell into place. I was lucky enough to have saved up some money from some overpaying pre-recession freelance blogging gigs and was able to pay the down payment and that was that.

* First-Time Homebuyer’s Tax Credit: This was that thing in 2008 that was passed by Congress to encourage people to borrow money and buy houses and stimulate the economy. Buyers could get up to $8,000 written off against their taxes or, if they didn’t owe, refunded to them, as cash.

Logan: Did you know you were saving for a down payment?

Adam: I mean, my parents were always drilling it into my head that I should save for a down payment at some point, but I assumed I was a few years off. But I do owe them — they basically harassed me until I set up an IRA, which let me put money in every year tax-free and then take it all out with no penalty to buy my first home. So yes, I was saving for a down payment, but I didn’t think it would happen until I was in my 30s.

Logan: So you were always going to be a homeowner. This was always going to happen for you.

Adam: Haha it was my DESTINY. I grew up moving every 5 years; my parents have some weird version of real estate wanderlust where they just love moving, so it’s kind of in my blood, maybe?

Logan: You said it seemed like a better deal to buy than to rent, which I feel is something that people say, but is it actually true?

Adam: I mean, my mortgage payment is less than I would pay in rent for this apartment, to be sure. And then there’s the whole investment thing, even though a good 75% of my mortgage payments go towards interest at this point. But I do know I’ll get a chunk of cash whenever I decide to sell, so in the end I think it’s a way better deal. Provided your home value doesn’t go down, of course, which is certainly not guaranteed. But I felt pretty safe about this neighborhood. NYC feels like a whole different world, real-estate wise, than like, suburban Tempe.

Logan: Oh I thought that was guaranteed in New York, basically?

Adam: Haha, that’s the idea!

Logan: What about maintenance and taxes and utilities and all that? Can we talk numbers here?

Adam: Sure! Since my building was new and has no doorman or anything, my condo fee is pretty low, around $285. And also because it’s new, it’s got a tax abatement so my property taxes are almost nothing. Utilities are about what I paid when I rented, since it’s the same electricity/gas/internet coming in. Older buildings and buildings with lots of amenities have way higher condo fees, which I imagine are tough to justify. I wouldn’t be able to swing a $1,200 maintenance fee on top of mortgage payments.

Logan: Do your friends own things, too?

Adam: I have a few friends that also own, yes. Almost all of them also own in ugly new construction buildings like mine, because those are the cheapest to buy while still being pretty nice. I assume we’d all rather own parlor floors of brownstones, though.

Logan: Do you think less of your friends that are renters?

Adam: No! Of course not! That is crazy.

Logan: Oh.Well you should! We’re lazy and don’t have our shit together! Unlike youuuuu.

Adam: I would go back to renting after I sold this place if it seemed like it made the most sense. I don’t know if I’m an owner for life. But it makes sense for me now, so.

Logan: Have you painted and done DIY stuff? Knocked down any walls?

Adam: All the walls are painted, but otherwise not really. I may put in a tile backsplash over the stove if I can get my dad to help me. Very exciting!

Logan: I could help you with that. I watch a lot of HGTV.

Adam: OK, you bring the sledgehammer, I’ll buy a six-pack.

Logan: Thanks for answering all of my boring questions, Adam Frucci.

Adam: Talking about mortgages like an old fuck.

Logan: Asking about mortgages like an old fuck.

Adam: I guess we’re both boring.

Adam Frucci is the proprietor of Splitsider.