I live in a pre-war (1920's?) Brooklyn apartment building. Recently, the ceiling in the kitchen collapsed due to a leak in the pipes above, spreading plaster, dust, and wet and dry gunk everywhere. Now the landlord has completed a shoddy-looking repair, again leaving everything in the kitchen covered in dust and powder and sticky gunk. Every. Single. Thing. Two questions: how do I find out if we are in danger of asbestos exposure? How do I proceed if we are?
posted by jennyjenny on Feb 24, 2012 - 7 answers

Can I withhold rent until my landlord installs a door on my second bedroom? [more inside]
posted by kmtiszen on May 21, 2010 - 15 answers

Is my landlord legally required to provide periodic window cleaning? [more inside]
posted by kmtiszen on Apr 11, 2010 - 5 answers

Three of us moved into a four-floor brownstone on November 1. The next month the landlady died. Since then we've been dealing with her niece, who is very kind and a good substitute landlady. But now there's some familial dispute and it turns either the landlady died intestate or the will simply hasn't been found yet. The niece's lawyer advised her to give keys to the other family members involved, which freaks us all out. [more inside]
posted by Viola on Mar 8, 2010 - 10 answers

I am thinking about buying a specific apartment (condo) in Brooklyn, NY. For this question, let's assume that this apartment is a smart investment / better than renting, financially. While I don't have plans to leave New York in the immediate future, I'm not 100% committed to staying here, either. So my question is about contingencies: if I got this apartment, then in a few years needed to move to a different city, how much pain would I be bringing upon myself to keep the apartment and rent it out? [more inside]
posted by the jam on Mar 2, 2010 - 8 answers

My main gripe are the dirty hallways. I rent a 1BR in a 32-unit apartment building in Brooklyn. The rent is well below market and the location is good, but the building isn't properly looked after. The super and landlord and by-and-large my neighbors just don't care. What's the best approach? [more inside]
posted by timnyc on Jan 14, 2009 - 17 answers

Is my new apartment too good to be true? Is there some scam I'm not seeing? [more inside]
posted by Julia F***ing Sugarbaker on Jun 12, 2008 - 16 answers

My apartment had some minor flooding last night. Is it unreasonable to ask for a month of free rent? Or, have I lost my security deposit? [more inside]
posted by nasreddin on Jan 26, 2007 - 17 answers

Can I legally sublet my apartment in Brooklyn for an entire year, or longer? Can I charge more than my current rent? [more specifics inside] [more inside]
posted by owenville on Jan 10, 2005 - 5 answers