advice on taking over a rent-stabilized apt in nyc

[cabaki]

So my coworker is moving out of a ridiculously cheap one bedroom rent-stabilized apt he's been living in for 15 years, and wants to pass it on to me. He's notified the landlord in writing at least 3 times that he has a colleague that wants to take it over, with no acknowlegement or response from the landlord yet.

My coworker's lease ends next August, yet he's moving out this december. He's willing to sub lease it to me until his lease is over in august, but I'm only willing to do so if i believe that I will be granted a lease to the apt when his expires, or if his lease is renewed and i continue to sub lease from him indefinitelty.

What complicates matters is that I'm currently holding the lease for a 2-bedroom in the slope in which i sublease half of the place to a roommate, so i would need to find someone to sublet my room while i sublet his place. I'm hesistant to break my lease while i sublet this place, because i dont know if the landlord is going to grant me a lease after my coworkers is over, and i want to leave my options open in case i decide to stay where i am.

I'm aware of the squatters law, and was wondering whether subleasing the place from my coworker in the meantime will give me a better chance of getting the lease to the place when his lease expires, because it proves that I've been paying rent and the landlord's been accepting it.

Now i realize that the landlord might have other ideas in regards to the apt when my coworkers lease is up, so i might be taking my chances in assuming i would get the lease.

Does anyone have any advice in how to approach this situation? Any advice is appeciated, thanks.

 

[Hot Topic]

Does your coworker's lease permit him to sublease?
I'm not getting by reading your post that the landlord is open to subleasing, especially since he has ignored three letters from the coworker.

If you break your lease on the place where you are now, you'll have to pay rent until a new tenant is found. You may have to pay other fees depending on what your lease says.

You can't expect guarantees in situations like this.

 

[You Are Guilty]

Unless coworker's LL is an idiot, they will eventually wisen up and not give you a new lease - (at least not at the old, rent-stabilized price). I would definitely not break your current lease, seeing as how it's likely you'll be needing it in the relatively near future.

Then again, if you really, really want that apartment, you can always marry the coworker.
http://www.housingnyc.com/html/resources/dhcr/dhcr30.html

 

[HomeGuru]

Unless coworker's LL is an idiot, they will eventually wisen up and not give you a new lease - (at least not at the old, rent-stabilized price). I would definitely not break your current lease, seeing as how it's likely you'll be needing it in the relatively near future.

Then again, if you really, really want that apartment, you can always marry the coworker.
http://www.housingnyc.com/html/resources/dhcr/dhcr30.html

**A: YAG, terrific advice. A simple marriage will do it. What a cool and nifty way to get a below market rental.

 

[You Are Guilty]

Well, he'd have to move to Vermont (?) to do it, but hey, whatever floats your boat.