[Spooky23]

NYC landlords are a unique species of scum. If it's doesn't cost them anything, it's good.

There's a lot of history that got us here. One of the outcomes/legacies of this stuff is rent regulation, and the standards of operation there extend into unregulated apartments as well.

[mahyarm]

Fixing the steam heating valves will decrease their energy costs as tenants reduce the heat they demand, since they all seemed to be overheated. I wonder why they don't do it.

[mschuster91]

Because the tenant pays the bill, not the landlord so the landlord has no incentive to fix.

With a proper working housing market the landlord might have an incentive to fix (because people just won't rent from your wrecked place if they can get a better place for the same money) - but given the housing shortage in cities like NYC, even a run down shack is better than sleeping in the park.

[Spooky23]

It gives them an excuse to raise the rent. I'm sure that rents aren't falling this year with gas prices!