Hey everyone — I just signed a lease for a one-bed in Hamilton Heights (first time renting in NYC without a roommate). The lease says rent should be paid to “Heightsview Properties LLC,” but the landlord just texted me that I should Zelle it to a personal account under “J. Rivera.” Is that normal? I’m probably overthinking, but it feels weird to send that much money to an account that doesn’t match the lease. Do small landlords just do this? I don’t want to immediately annoy him by asking for proof before move-in, but also don’t want to get scammed. What would you do?

Not automatically a scam, but don’t just send it because a text said so. Lots of small landlords run everything through a relative or super, and Zelle handles the money. The issue is if there’s ever a dispute, you want the payment trail tied to the lease. I’d ask the management company or LL to send you an email from an address on the lease (or add a one-line amendment) saying payments go to J. Rivera. If they get weird about that, that’s your red flag. Don’t use Zelle until that’s in writing, and never cash.

I had this in my old place in Bensonhurst. The guy on the lease was an LLC that I never saw, and the wife collected money orders. It felt so sketchy the first few months, but she always gave me a paper receipt and it worked out. Still, I wish I’d asked for one email with the account info. You’re smart to check. Is Zelle the only option? Sometimes they’ll take a bank check if you’re nervous.

Bank check is definitely the move for the first month if they’ll accept it. It gives you a paper trail and a second to make sure the J. Rivera account isn’t just some guy. And yeah, cash is wild. If it’s an LLC, they should have a business account or at least a management person who can send you a one-line confirmation. A landlord who acts insulted by a reasonable ask usually hasn’t had an actual problem yet. NY housing court is not where you want to prove you paid.

Okay that makes me feel less crazy. I asked if he could email me the payment instructions from the management email or put it in the lease rider. He responded: “It’s fine, J is my partner, everyone pays that way.” No email yet. Should I push on that or is that basically enough? I don’t want to lose the apartment over a technicality because I already put down the security deposit. But now I’m second-guessing everything.

Push. Not in like a weird legal way, just “Hey, my bank flags large Zelle transfers, can you send it from the LLC email so I can keep records?” Blame the bank. If he still won’t, that tells you something. Did you pay the security deposit to the same account or to the LLC? That might already give you a clue.

Agree with DykerNewbie. Blaming the bank is the easiest way to not make it personal. But also check your lease: some say rent must be paid to “landlord or landlord’s agent” and that gives some flexibility. If the LLC is on the lease and the deposit went to an LLC account, the J. Rivera mismatch is probably just a bookkeeping shortcut. Do not let a landlord gas you into skipping a paper trail because “everyone” does it. Everyone also has roommate horror stories.

Update: I used the “my bank flagged it” line and he actually sent a short email from the same address he used for my signed lease, confirming I can Zelle rent to J. Rivera as his authorized agent. So that’s probably fine, right? I feel much better now. First month rent due Thursday. Thanks both for the nudge — I probably would’ve just sent it blindly and been anxious until the keys were in hand.

That’s good. Just keep that email saved somewhere not your apartment. Print it or put it in a folder. I once had a landlord change his story about a pet fee and the only thing that saved me was an old text thread. Congrats on the new place, btw. Hamilton Heights has great bodega coffee.

You’re fine now, but I’d still pay Zelle only for rent, not for deposits or “cash favors.” Also maybe send the first one a day early and request confirmation. If the lease auto-renews or you ever get a late notice, you want the receipts. Welcome to the neighborhood. Don’t let a super named J tell you the radiator paint isn’t his job.

Ha, I haven’t even moved in and already have a list of things to ask the super about. One more question: should I be worried that the same J. Rivera also said they’ll do the walkthrough and handle my move-in paperwork? Is that normal, or should the person on the lease be there? I have no idea what’s typical for a small building.

Totally normal in small buildings. The person who meets you with keys is often the super, partner, son, cousin. Just make sure you take photos before anything goes in, email them to yourself, and get the move-in condition form signed by whoever does the walkthrough. If they won’t sign or say “we don’t do forms,” that’s more of a yellow flag than the Zelle name.

Yep, the walkthrough person being J is fine as long as they’re listed or confirmed as the agent. Take a video with the date, all floors, the stove, the window guards. You’ll thank yourself at move-out when they try to keep your deposit over preexisting marks. In a walk-up, photograph the stairwell walls near your floor too. Movers scuff everything and some buildings try to say you did it.