Apartment rental. Subdivided house circa 1910. Help us tweak these original single-pane wood frame windows so as not to freeze. [more inside]
posted by deludingmyself on Feb 22, 2011 - 13 answers

What to do if 311 is not responding? [more inside]
posted by zavulon on Jan 8, 2011 - 9 answers

Help me figure out whether the landlord is really paying for my heat. [more inside]
posted by pavane on Nov 6, 2010 - 12 answers

How can I stop the noise coming from the steam pipe (?) in our bedroom's wall? We just moved into an apartment in a not-so-well maintained 1920s-era building. [more inside]
posted by pantufla on Jul 13, 2010 - 7 answers

How can I keep my apartment cool? And what are my landlord's responsibilities in maintaining my air conditioner? [more inside]
posted by titus n. owl on Jul 9, 2010 - 7 answers

First summer with a new cat and no AC. How to keep the kitty cool while we're away? [more inside]
posted by Flying Saucer on Jun 7, 2010 - 25 answers

If I run an extension cord or long power strip under my steam radiator, will something bad happen? [more inside]
posted by doift on Mar 16, 2010 - 14 answers

I want to make my apartment more energy efficient. I don't have any control over how much heat I get, so I'm most concerned with a) making sure as little heat is escaping through the windows as possible and b) reducing the amount of electricity I use. [more inside]
posted by ocherdraco on Feb 3, 2010 - 17 answers

How can I cool off my NY studio apartment this summer? Our building has central air conditioning, and while it's cold enough when I sit right next to the unit, the rest of the apartment gets boiling hot. During today's heat wave, when it was 82 outside, a thermometer sitting on the unit read 70 degrees. On the other side of the room, it was more like 75, and on the other side of of the apartment, almost 80. The building doesn't allow window air conditioners. This is making living here really uncomfortable -- what else can I do to cool this place off? [more inside]
posted by lsemel on Apr 28, 2009 - 29 answers

Two nights running with no power or hot water. What's a tenant to do? [more inside]
posted by ricochet biscuit on Feb 26, 2009 - 12 answers

[Asking for a friend:] What can I do about the stinky, wasteful oil furnace in my apartment? I'm worried about my health, and I'm not sure that the landlord cares. [more inside]
posted by TurkishGolds on Dec 22, 2008 - 4 answers

How much does it cost to heat an apartment in Brooklyn? My roommates and I are about to put down a deposit on a 3-bedroom in Greenpoint. The only unknown is that heat isn't included, and we have no idea what that will cost for a winter. Rough estimates and anecdotal evidence appreciated. 1000 a year? 500? 3000? Thanks much.
posted by boots on Aug 11, 2008 - 11 answers

Apartment filter: I need my apartment to be cool inside! We moved into a very nice 3rd (top) floor, west facing apartment... in March... came home in June and no exaggeration, it was 94 degrees in my living room. The AC has a 20 degree difference and runs nonstop from 4pm to 11pm and its 84 degrees in the bed room till 11pm. [more inside]
posted by phritosan on Aug 4, 2008 - 38 answers

My landlord in NY claims that our heater must turn on when the temperature drops. If we wanted to prevent this, a technician would have to "turn the valves off" -- a cumbersome process that risks the valves later freezing and "popping" and steam destroying our apartment. True? Is this common? And if so, how can we deal with a too-hot room, other than by opening the window?
posted by shivohum on Oct 26, 2007 - 30 answers

How does a baseboard heater come off, so I can put some bookcases along that wall? [more inside]
posted by kindall on May 26, 2007 - 10 answers

I'm 18 and I had to move out of my parents house. I'm in an apartment in Jersey City. I don't have cockroaches, there aren't any leaks, its a really great apartment and these are all small things that I've been dealing with the last few months. [more inside]
posted by rubberkey on Apr 16, 2007 - 20 answers