I have lived in an apartment managed by YHT in Bed-Stuy for 5 years now and am a little surprised by the parade of 1-star reviews here. First big caveat: YHT is a management company that handles properties owned by many different landlords, so I am assuming that case-by-case scenarios can differ, depending on whom the landlord in question is.
That said, I have been impressed by YHT in the past, and even more so in the past 6 months. The company has a website set up to process payments and also lodge any issues re: maintenance issues. I have a feeling that a lot of people don't know about this, or don't use it. But it's a very efficient system and I have always received a super prompt response from management when I do file an issue through the website.
Over the past 2 years or so we've requested a wide range of things, and YHT has been very responsive. That included having our living room and kitchen repainted (something a landlord is required to do every couple of years, I believe); having an awkward cabinet in our kitchen removed; having excess trash and debris that had accumulated in our small backyard removed; and having leaks from upstairs apartments investigated and fixed. This is not to say that everything is perfect -- there has been a persistent leak in the front hallway of the building that continues to cause damage to the ceiling there, and is an eyesore -- but overall I have NOT had the experience that other reviewers have had (if so, I would have moved out a long time ago!). Just the other day I emailed YHT because the apartment was cold and the heat wasn't on (since it was late April)...they responded and put the heat back on within 2 hours. I also started getting paranoid, following a leak from upstairs apartment, about any potential mold issues that might be in the area of the surrounding wall. Hours after I raised the issue with YHT they had put me in touch with a mold inspection/air inspection company, who set an appointment to come take samples the following day.
Like most management companies, they do rely on 'jack-of-all-trades' supers to do some repairs, and in many cases this might mean that the repairs aren't up to the standards of independent professionals working solely in specialized fields. But this has also improved as of late, and I've been more impressed by the quality of repairs overall.
Anyway, not denying the experiences that others have had with YHT, but did want to speak to my own 5-year tenure with them as a management company for my own very cozy, rent-stabilized Brooklyn apartment. read more