As the daughter, granddaughter, niece, cousin of Chinese immigrants who have lived in or still do live in apartments like these, I cannot begin to express how ignorant and offensive many of the sentiments in this comments thread are.

If your 80 year old grandmother was living off of social security checks in the only home in America she has ever known - the home that she has lived in for decades before the middle class was even willing to live in that area - would you be so eager to have her thrown out?    For the record, none of my relatives has ever to my knowledge started a fire or otherwise created any hazardous conditions in their apartments.  Questionable accumulation of possessions, sure.  Any worse than your empty liquor bottle collection?  Not really.

And to the commenters who are somehow personally affronted by someone's inability to speak English, I would like to point out that there is no official national language in the US.  So if in your daily interactions only concern people speaking a language you already know it may just be useless.  Not to mention the fact that its not exactly easy to learn a new language as an adult.  So are you really arguing that they should learn English just for your benefit?

I could go on for days...

Whoa, easy there.  Let's stick to the facts, your own sensibilities notwithstanding.

Some of them burn stuff, and make a mess.  That's pretty much a no-no.

And when you come to another country, you learn that mainstream language, whether "official" or not.  Or you make your damndest efforts to do so.  I think that's pretty intuitive, and thus, it's a belief that's shared universally, to "do as the Romans do".

This is not a 1-sided debate.  I haven't addressed the prejudice and ignorance of some of the "natives" yet.

This is Liz, just posting from a different name because the first post was a mis-click that I can't seem to delete now.

If you want to stick to the facts, these are my own personal experiences.
There are Chinese people that burn things and make a mess.  I'm saying its unfair to generalize that every Chinese person does this.

I would argue however, that its not a "universal given" that you would learn the language of the country.  Obviously it is better all around to do so.  But even if intent to do so is there, sometimes it just doesn't happen.  Practically, if you are rarely in a situation to use the language, it is time and hard work that might not seem worth it.

Our apartment has never had the heat cut off out of spite, and we've never been subjected to threats of eviction if our rent was a few days late. But perhaps that's because we pay market value for our place on Delancey, and aren't Chinese
Does the author mean the average Gothamist reader, or is her referring to himself and someone else? That whole first paragraph was very confusing.

How do you live in a country for 30yrs and not speak the language?It is battles all the time here; lots of people are leaving,” Zheng tells the reporter through an interpreter, “I know my rights, but I am nervous.”

So pay your rent on time and take down decorations, and Madison Capital will give you 60K to get another apartment.  There's several million New Yorkers who want this deal.  Madison Capital sounds like a excellent landlord.

Those "several million New Yorkers" would be complete idiots.  You're a sleaze ball.

You're saying they should leave their rent stabilized apartment and get a market rate apartment for $60k?  At a low-ball estimate of $1500/month that gives them a place to live for 3.3 years.  And then what?

I want to shake the hands of everyone on here that believes that if you don't like something about NY, get the fuck out.

It is time to stop every vilification of landlords and business owners. These are the folks who are the true job creators. If Madison Capital turns a profit, it will buy more properties and more of its workers will need to maintain those properties. More clerks will need to handle leases, etc. All of us - lower, middle and upper class - need to come together and support the owners of society who want to turn this country and our economy around. That is the real way to solve this unemployment crisis.

Your kidding right? Do you work for Madison capital? "If Madison Capital turns a profit, it will buy more properties" Yes. they will buy more rent stabilized properties, and continue to do what they are doing to their current and ANY rent stabilized tenants, which is making their live miserable enough so they can "voluntarily" move out.  How many clerks and lawyers it takes to handle 20 leases? 20 Clerks and law lawyers? You are full of greed.

Greed? Is Greed synonymous with the word "Shit"?

I do not understand why these people choose to pay $1300 per person for rent when there was a newly built condo building  (2 beds one bath), on 31 monroe st (a few blocks from where these people are)  that was listed at $1200 per month.  If you have to much money to spend, than donate it! 

Monroe St. is worlds apart in terms of safety & transport than Delancey St. (especially at Allen). All of the LES/Chinatown is not created equal.

Ha-ha, gothamists' heads exploding!

Huh, I don't feel anybody's entitled to pay less than 200/month for a full room today. Unless it's a shack, and very very far from Manhattan

I hate what they've done to NYCity. Name should be change to NY$ity now!

Since when is Delancey considered Chinatown rather than Lower East Side?

Wow...  The combination of this post and many of the comments confirms it is time to leave NYC.  With the homogenization of the city the cost/benefit scenario has changed dramatically. 

Sadly I lived in one of Madison Capital's Buildings for about 3 years which arealso  located on 384 and 380 Broome and Mott. There are about 10 asian (elderly) folks in my building and they are extremely respectful and mind their own business. I would much rather have them then all the NYU students that Madison lets rent these apartments and they rotate in and out quicker then an hourly hotel. Its like a frat house all the time. Madison changes their name to Magnum reality, Five Leave Management and 380 Broome and they are shaddy as eff. They raised my rent as much as $500 a year and don't care if your rent is on time or even early. I'm out this month and ironically they can't rent the apartment as they are asking $2,600 for a tiny 1 bedroom with no sunlight. Keith Holding is the manager who runs these apartments and he treats his porters and supers like crap and doesn't care if tenants hear him yelll at them all the time. They change the name of the company every other day and also the mailing address (p.o box). Some shaddy stuff is going on and I've heard him talk disrespectfully about the sweet asian folks in my building. They are just pissed that they are rent stabilized and will do anything they can to kick them out to have bratty kids move in while their parents pay their rent. Shame on your Madison Capital.