Alanna Schubach
Contributing writer
Contributing editor Alanna Schubach has over a decade of experience as a New York City-based freelance journalist. She has written about real estate for Brick Underground, Mansion Global, and Barron's. She has also contributed features, essays, and op-eds to The Nation, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and The Village Voice. She won a National Association of Real Estate Editors’ silver award in 2018 for her Ask an Expert column for Brick Underground. She is also a fiction writer and a creative writing teacher, and currently lives in Brooklyn.
Posts by Alanna Schubach:
NYU students scrambling after sudden notice to vacate dorms by March 22 [UPDATED]
March 17, 2020 - 11:30 AM
The announcement to vacate NYU's dorms came as universities across the country are closing their doors and asking students to return home to prevent the spread of the coronavirus. But for students who may not have somewhere else to go, or lack the money to pay for travel and moving, the sudden request is causing a crisis.
Read More I live in a rent-stabilized apartment. Is my parking spot protected from rent hikes?
March 9, 2020 - 09:00 AM
If the parking spot was provided to you when you moved into your stabilized apartment, there are strict limits on how much its rent can be raised, our experts say.
Read More Ask Sam: Should my neighbors and I hire a lawyer to deal with a possible rent increase for an elevator repair?
March 4, 2020 - 10:00 AM
It's definitely a good idea to work with an attorney when you suspect your landlord of using MCIs inappropriately to raise the rent.
Read More As a shareholder, can I see my co-op board's meeting minutes?
March 2, 2020 - 10:00 AM
In the past, co-op boards could refuse to show board meeting minutes, restricting shareholders to viewing only the minutes of annual shareholders' meetings. However, some court cases have changed the rules about who gets to access these records.
Read More How do co-op boards decide on maintenance fee increases?
February 24, 2020 - 10:00 AM
There are no specific legal restrictions on NYC co-op maintenance fee increases, our experts say, and increases are calculated based on a number of factors, which is why the fees can vary so much from one building to the next.
Read More Ask Sam: What's a 'major capital improvement,' and does it really mean my landlord can raise the rent?
February 19, 2020 - 10:00 AM
Changes to New York state's rent laws last year set new limits on the amount landlords can raise rents after making major capital improvements. Now they can only raise the rent by 2 percent a month at most, among other new restrictions.
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