Rental-to-condo conversions are all the rage, with dozens in progress all over the city. But those projects, which mean lower costs for developers than ground-up building, also spell discomfort for rental tenants who live amid all the construction work. Residents in the Chatsworth (pictured) and the Evelyn, both mid-conversion projects on the Upper West Side, as well as at the Upper East Side's fancy Marquand and Carnegie Park, spoke out: "Complaints about harassment, lack of heat and rent increases are rising, according to several government organizations that track them. And local government officials are taking notice; last month, a new joint city and state task force was created to crack down on landlords using disruptive renovations to push tenants out of rent-regulated homes." [NYT; previously]
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