The Crazy Ukrainian Landlord and the Pergo Floor Scheme

• 12:06Tim and his roommate want to renovate their apartment but fear their Ukrainian landlord will raise rent if she contributes any money.
• 12:36Instead of spending three grand to sand and refinish the wood floor, Tim proposes installing Pergo—fake laminate flooring that snaps together and can be removed when they leave.
• 13:27A friend in Levittown claimed putting in a Pergo floor cost $400 but raised his house value by $80,000, a calculation Tim finds nonsensical.
• 14:04The landlord is drunk most of the time and convinced she's being robbed, even though Tim and his roommate have offered to pay for all renovations themselves.
• 14:23Alan had a police confrontation with the landlord; he claims she attacked him, she claims he hit her, and the tape is unclear about who made contact first.
• 15:08The landlord called Tim while he was in LA to complain that Alan's car is loud and scares her cat, leaving a voicemail telling him he has a very good deal.
• 16:01Tim explains why landlords in New York are struggling: if they invest in upgrades like new kitchens and bathrooms, tenants paying under-market rent will demand rent increases or see new luxury buildings with doormen and fitness centers as alternatives.
• 16:44Tim describes the building as a slum, but the problem isn't living in a slum—it's that the landlord doesn't realize she owns a slum and claims it's the best area in Queens.
• 17:13The landlord inherited multiple multi-million-dollar buildings and now lives three blocks away; everyone on the block inherited property and became millionaires, driving around in Benzes and Range Rovers while doing nothing.

QueensPergoLevittown