I found it amusing Jacob took the bottle, as though believing I’d really need some more alcohol to handle a little dust and debris.
I needed more alcohol to deal with the apartment, but not because there was dust or debris, but because it was larger than I expected, had a view I might kill for, and there was a balcony overlooking the city with little in the way of obstructions. Manhattan twinkled, and while there were a ridiculous number of cars on the road, we were up high enough the sounds of the city soothed more than it annoyed. From my understanding of the building’s layout, the condominiums were on the next floor up, and I could easily understand why someone would pay more than six thousand for the place.
The apartment ventured into the surreal category. The fireplace was fashioned of stacked stone to give it a rustic feel, the hardwood floors throughout would warm nicely beneath the feet, aided by a subfloor heating system, and the marble bathroom featured a jet tub I could lose many an hour in.
My e-reader was waterproof. When I wasn’t warming myself beside the fire, I could soak my cares away. Who needed a pool table when I could have a jet tub?
“Margaret, what’s the average rent in Manhattan?”
“$4,200, give or take a few hundred.”
All right. While two thousand over the average, I could see the apartment costing so much. “You could move me in tomorrow and I wouldn’t have a complaint about the renovation work.” I pointed at the tub, which would comfortably fit two. “I can live in the tub for three weeks without any complaints, and take-out exists.”
Jacob laughed and topped my glass of wine. “I hear that a lot for some reason. It’s amazing what a little extra investment into an apartment does for a tenant’s willingness to pay extra rent. Your extra two thousand a month gets you good mileage. Since you’re an accountant, you’ll get this. My profit margin isn’t nearly as high as you might think even with charging this much. On average, I’ll spend four thousand a month of your rent on the extras, and then I use a hefty chunk of that into future investments, so I don’t pocket much as profit. Make no mistake, I make money—and I make decent money—but it’s a snowball rather than a waterfall. A slow, gradual build of profit is more my speed than gouging my tenants. It’s not perfect, but I try to make sure you have a comfortable, safe home.” Jacob set the bottle of wine on the tub’s ledge and pulled out a folded sheet of paper from his jacket’s pocket. “The lease period is for one year, and for your first year, I will waive your pet deposit and pet rent. It’s usually a hundred a month per pet, as accidents happen and flooring often needs to be replaced. The pet rent and deposit cover the so-called security deposit most landlords charge.”
“You don’t charge a security deposit?”
“I don’t charge a security deposit. I also don’t charge first and last. Your first month’s rent will be due when you move in, and your rent will be due on the first of every month. If you have something barring you from paying rent on the first, contact the leasing office. Arrangements can be made, especially in case of an emergency. Rather than charge you a security deposit, my pet rent is higher. The pet deposit is poorly named, as it’s not really a deposit. You won’t get the money back. The deposit covers emergency pet care, rounding animals up if there’s a fire, and boarding them in case something happens with the building. If your pets can’t be in the unit while there are renovations or during an emergency, your deposit covers that as well. We audit every year, and if the deposit wasn’t used in full with a quantifiable service, you’re refunded the difference. There’s also the optional daily services we offer that are outside of the rent.”
“What types of emergencies do you count for late rent payments?”
“Medical emergencies, a death in the family, or the paycheck just happens to hit on Friday and rent is due on Thursday. I do not like charging my tenants late fees on rent, and I’ve lived paycheck-to-paycheck often enough to understand that life isn’t kind to most. If you give us your payment schedule, we can make notations on the months this