The Sierra

This is a really great location, but after a year they raised my rent by $200. It was already too much for a studio, so a $200 increase was a bit obscene. I know - WAAA it's too expensive to live in Manhattan. The thing is, Related is owned by Stephen M. Ross. The guy is worth $6.5 Billion and he owns 95% of the Miami Dolphins. I don't like when people say they're a great tenant, but I never complained about anything, say hello to all the staff and took care of them at holiday time. I counter-offered with the same rent or $50 more, but they were determined to increase it more significantly. I'm really disappointed and I'm sure this is part of an algorithm that takes into account the inconvenience of moving vs. putting up with a large increase. They have this down to a science.Mr. Ross donates hundreds of millions of dollars to all sorts of organizations that honor him for his generosity. $1.1 Billion to John Hopkins University. Some $300 Million to the University of Michigan. That's lovely, but he wouldn't be able to do any of that if he wasn't systematically raising rent on hard-working people annually. Mr. Ross also owns Equinox Fitness Clubs. His wife is 30 years younger and is a famous jewelry designer. It's just a bit sickening that a company generating so much revenue can't see the value in treating their tenants with a bit of respect and loyalty. It's all about the numbers for them.And I just learned that Mr. Ross is a major contributor to horrible politicians like Mitt Romney, John Boehner, Eric Cantor, and Mitch McConnell. I guess it's good that I'll be moving away because I don't like the idea of my money going to politicians who deny climate change, oppose rights for women, oppose raising the minimum wage, and who support unnecessary wars. I hope you'll consider living somewhere else.