Ask Real Estate is a weekly online column that answers questions from across the New York region. Submit yours to realestateqa@nytimes.com.  Q. Our condominium has a rule against keeping bicycles in the hallways. This was decided by the board and was not voted on by the unit owners. My spouse and I commute to work on our bicycles and sometimes leave them in the hallway too long for management’s liking. I had discussed the issue with the management, explaining that usually it is an oversight and that we try to limit these incidents and bring the bikes indoors on a regular basis. After the latest incident, we received a letter from management stating that it was fining us $25 and adding the fine to the monthly charges; for each subsequent violation, it said, the fine would increase fourfold. Does management have a right to do this and on what basis, or is it just being manipulative?  A. Boards and management tend to get testy about large objects left in hallways. And they have a good reason: Storing a bike in a hallway, even for a few minutes, could be in violation of city fire codes. “We’re not even supposed to have doormats out there,” said Theresa Racht, a real estate lawyer.  Submit your questions, share your stories and tell us what topics interest you most. Post a comment or email us at realestateqa@nytimes.com.  Most condo bylaws have a provision that allows boards to fine unit owners for violating house rules. A policy that prohibits bikes in the hallway is a classic example of a house rule, and it would not require a vote by unit owners. The rapidly increasing fines might be overzealous on the part of management, but it is probably trying to make a point.  Pay the fine and apologize for breaking the rules. Then reach out to other bike riders in the building — they might also have trouble squeezing a large bike into an apartment. See if any of them might be interested in starting a campaign to carve out communal storage space in the building. Perhaps management could charge a fee for the privilege. After all, there is nothing like the prospect of extra income to make a condo board forget past grievances.  “I don’t think buildings realize that there is a real revenue opportunity for bike storage,” said Jay K. Overbye, a broker with Halstead Property.  If management isn’t swayed by the prospect of increased income, discuss resale prospects: Potential buyers might find a bike-friendly building appealing, especially because city cycling is becoming more commonplace.  “It is a cultural change,” said Caroline Samponaro, a senior director at Transportation Alternatives. “Change is hard, and there can be initial resistance to change. But in the end, what I’ve found is there is usually going to be a space that is underused that can be converted into bike storage space.”  Q. I am a rent-stabilized tenant who has lived in a 20-unit, five-story building for 34 years. Our superintendent is never around on weekends, and I’m told the law states that he must be. We’ve had smoke throughout the building on two consecutive weekends, but the super was nowhere to be found — tenants had to let the firefighters in. And just last week, there was a fire in the building next door to us. Luckily it didn’t spread to our building. The owner of our building adamantly maintains that the superintendent lives in our basement, but the super rarely answers his door or responds to messages on his phone. We fear that other emergencies may occur on weekends. What are our remedies under the law?  A. Your landlord and super might be vague on their responsibilities, but New York City is very clear on this point. If a building has nine or more units and does not have a 24-hour janitor or an owner who lives there, then the super must live in the building or within one block or 200 feet of it, whichever is greater. The landlord should also clearly post the super’s name, address and phone number so tenants can reach him. Although the super is not required to be home at all times, he must be reachable by phone in case of emergency. I’m not sure what the landlord thinks qualifies as an emergency, but in my book, smoke in the hallways tops the list.  “If there have been emergencies on the weekends and no one could reach the super, that’s not right,” said Ronald S. Languedoc, a lawyer who represents tenants.  There is good reason for these rules. Catastrophic problems can happen in a building. Boilers, for example, can explode. The next time an emergency occurs, call 911 immediately. But in the meantime, document dates and times that the super was unreachable. Call 311 and report the issue to the Department of Housing Preservation and Development. The department could issue a violation against the building. You could also file what is known as an HP proceeding against the landlord in civil court to force the landlord to make repairs and correct building violations. See if your neighbors will do the same. Perhaps, if you complain loudly enough, someone will start answering the phone.  Q. I own an eight-unit, rent-stabilized building. I had a superintendent whom I was charging $500 a month in rent to live in and take care of the building. I did not like his work, so I hired someone else to take care of the building. The former super still lives in the apartment with a girlfriend and her child, and still pays $500 in rent. He has no lease, and I want to bring his rent up to the rate paid by the rest of the tenants, which is $1,100 for a one-bedroom. Can I do this? Or must I go by the rent guidelines?  A. Here is where you’re going to have a problem getting much more rent out of the former super: You charged him a reduced rent to work for you. If you had provided him the space as his salary or as part of the salary, then the apartment would be exempt from rent-stabilization laws. But because he has been paying rent all this time (even if it is less than what everyone else has been paying), he is protected by rent-stabilization rules.  “Unless there is some document that makes the $500 into some sort of preferential rent, I think he needs to offer a rent-stabilized renewal at the percentages above the $500,” said Sherwin Belkin, a lawyer who often represents landlords.  What does that mean for you? Well, it means that he can keep his apartment and you can raise his rent only by the current guidelines, which currently allow a 4 percent increase for a one-year lease renewal. Since the former super does not have a lease, you could offer him one, raising his rent to $520 a month. You might want to act quickly, because for the first time in its history, the Rent Guidelines Board, which determines rent increases for stabilized units, is considering freezing rents for one-year leases beginning Oct. 1. Two-year leases could rise by as little as 0.5 percent. A final decision is scheduled for June 23.
A couple is fined for leaving bikes in the hall; a tenant wonders about an absentee super; and a landlord asks about rent-stabilization rules.