Coney Island boardwalk shop owner says landlord increased her rent by 400%

A Coney Island business owner is worried about the future of her store after she says she received a massive rent increase.

News 12 Staff

Feb 16, 2020, 6:46 PM

Updated 1,523 days ago

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A Coney Island business owner is worried about the future of her store after she says she received a massive rent increase.
Lola Star says she has one more meeting with her landlord to try to negotiate the rent increase in hopes of keeping her gift shop on Coney Island's boardwalk open.
Star's business has been around for the last 19 years, but after being given a 400% rent increase, she's spent three months trying to negotiate.
She says that along with the rent increase, the landlord is also asking for a percentage of her sales, which means she would have to raise the prices of the merchandise in her store to be able to afford the new rent.
Star says that while she's not opposing a rent increase altogether, she is hoping to negotiate a more manageable price.
If she and her landlord can't come to an agreement, Star says her only option is to close the doors of her business that she says is a staple in the community.
Star says her lease ended Saturday, and if the meeting with her landlord doesn't go well, she plans to start packing up the shop next week.
News 12 reached out to the landlord of the Lola Star gift shop and is still waiting to hear back.


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