Trademark Patel Hotel Features
29 day policy / Musical Rooming – An illegal act in which the hotel
management enforces a rule requiring residents to move to a different
room or building before 30 days in order to avoid the tenant
establishing legal tenancy to allow increases in unit rent price.
Refusal to turn heat on – An illegal act in which the hotel management refuse to turn
the heat on during normal heating hours when requested by tenants
(usually to cut back on heating expenses, but is also used for
unlawful eviction)
Frequent Electric Power Surges/Outtages – An illegal act in which the hotel management refuse to
restore or repair electrical services, allowing power surges to occur
frequently. (management will often penalize tenants for power surges
by claiming they are caused by tenants using ovens and heaters, when
the real problem is the wiring.)
Lack of appropriate pest control – An illegal act in which the hotel management refuse to or do
not sufficiently utilize appropriate pest control methods to abate bed
bug, rodent, and/or cockroach problems. (usually to cut back on pest
control expenses, but is also used for unlawful eviction) which results in unsafe/uninhabitable conditions.
Filth and Rubbish everywhere – An illegal act in which the hotel management store or
refuse to remove garbage/debris from common areas and unsafe areas
(such as heater rooms). This includes lack of regular
cleaning/sanitizing of common areas
Locking Bathrooms – an illegal act in which the hotel management lock a
bathroom for days, weeks, months or longer at a time because it is
“out of service”. (usually caused by laziness/incompetence)
Constant Noise – the hotel management refuse to
appropriately respond to noise complaints regarding tenants and nearby
buildings
Unlawful Eviction – an illegal act in which the hotel management
attempt to evict a tenant without due process of law. This often
includes harassment of the tenant, use of bootlocks on the tenant’s
door, and disruption of utility services as means of forced eviction.
Charging Guest Fees – an illegal act in which the hotel management generate
additional profit by charging tenants “guest fees” for having more
than 8 visitors per month.
Holding visitor ID’s – an illegal act in which the hotel management
require all hotel guests to leave their ID with them at the front desk
before allowing them to visit. (Threats to call the police if the
guest refuses to turn their ID in are common, although it is unlikely
they would actually call them)
29 day policy / Musical Rooming – An illegal act in which the hotel
management enforces a rule requiring residents to move to a different
room or building before 30 days in order to avoid the tenant
establishing legal tenancy to allow increases in unit rent price.
Refusal to turn heat on – An illegal act in which the hotel management refuse to turn
the heat on during normal heating hours when requested by tenants
(usually to cut back on heating expenses, but is also used for
unlawful eviction)
Frequent Electric Power Surges/Outtages – An illegal act in which the hotel management refuse to
restore or repair electrical services, allowing power surges to occur
frequently. (management will often penalize tenants for power surges
by claiming they are caused by tenants using ovens and heaters, when
the real problem is the wiring.)
Lack of appropriate pest control – An illegal act in which the hotel management refuse to or do
not sufficiently utilize appropriate pest control methods to abate bed
bug, rodent, and/or cockroach problems. (usually to cut back on pest
control expenses, but is also used for unlawful eviction) which results in unsafe/uninhabitable conditions.
Filth and Rubbish everywhere – An illegal act in which the hotel management store or
refuse to remove garbage/debris from common areas and unsafe areas
(such as heater rooms). This includes lack of regular
cleaning/sanitizing of common areas
Locking Bathrooms – an illegal act in which the hotel management lock a
bathroom for days, weeks, months or longer at a time because it is
“out of service”. (usually caused by laziness/incompetence)
Constant Noise – the hotel management refuse to
appropriately respond to noise complaints regarding tenants and nearby
buildings
Unlawful Eviction – an illegal act in which the hotel management
attempt to evict a tenant without due process of law. This often
includes harassment of the tenant, use of bootlocks on the tenant’s
door, and disruption of utility services as means of forced eviction.
Charging Guest Fees – an illegal act in which the hotel management generate
additional profit by charging tenants “guest fees” for having more
than 8 visitors per month.
Holding visitor ID’s – an illegal act in which the hotel management
require all hotel guests to leave their ID with them at the front desk
before allowing them to visit. (Threats to call the police if the
guest refuses to turn their ID in are common, although it is unlikely
they would actually call them)
Badly Damaged Door and Window Hardware - the hotel management neglect doors and windows in individual units to such a point where they no longer function properly. (i.e. loose doorknobs that can be opened with any key, windows that do not lock, windows that are broken, closet doors off hinges, etc)
Fire Hazards - (see Filth/Rubbish) fires are frequent due to the hotel management illegally storing garbage in the heater room, which easily ignites. There has also been cases in the past of Patels intentionally burning their hotels down for insurance money & to be able to re-construct the units and rent them out at a significantly higher price.
Unfair/Unequal Units - because many of these Patel-owned hotels have survived multiple fires, many of the units in the buildings have been re-constructed. Some units which were unscathed by the fires remain in their original condition, while newer rooms tend to be bigger and cleaner. At the entella hotel, I was first housed in a tiny room with a single window facing a garbage alley. However, a different person was housed in a room 4 times as big as mine on the 2nd floor, which featured two windows (which don't face garbage), and a large, doorless closet. It also came with a massive TV and double bed (mine only had a portable TV and a single bed) despite the fact that we are both in the same housing program and that I've been in it for 6 months and he has only been in it for 2 weeks.
Drug Addicts/Sexual Predators - many of the tenants in Patel-owned hotels are criminals who use drugs and sexually abuse others. Many of them work at the hotel in exchange for reduced rent. They are given access to all units and other facilities in the building. These are usually the culprits behind garbage stored in the heating room and also responsible for the theft of tenant's property. On one occasion, I asked the management to replace the toilet paper in one of the bathrooms. Instead of doing it themselves, they called one of the resident drug addicts to do it. He threw the toilet paper at me while spewing profanity. The high percentage of drug addicts present in Patel-owned buildings significantly increases an individual's risk of exposure to dangerous narcotics such as Methadone, and is also the reason for all the various dirty needles, condoms and other biohazards scattered in and around the building.
Apathy - the hotel management lack any feelings of compassion for their low-income tenants. Although they are well aware of the hardships we face, their only real concern is making sure they get our money. They do not care about your individual needs, and will rarely listen to what you have to say. They are rude, and teach their children to hate the tenants as well, so that they may also grow up to be cruel slumlords like their fathers.
Are any of these features present in your hotel? If so, then you may be living in a Patel-owned building.
