Tips to Avoid Living in Squalid Conditions

missny · October 2005

I cannot stress the importance of visiting a potential apartment building repeatedly, and at various times during the day. Also, speak with tenants about things like repairs...security, etc.

Had I spoken with my neighbors & visited the building at various times of the day prior to moving into my apartment I would have learned that:

People loiter in the halls, use & sell drugs until all hours of the morning.

The hallways are always dirty, garbage & miscellaneous food items are deposited there.

Garbage is thrown out of windows.

Mailboxes are vandalized.

Repairs are only made after repeatedly calling & yelling at management personnel. (I've been informed that there is a three-year waiting list for repairs.)

Homeless people are allowed to take up residence in the garbage/recycling areas.

Arsonists repeatedly set fire to various parts of the building, resulting in our elevator being out of service for several months.
:x

jamesondean · October 2005

Some of this is stuff that would allow you to break your lease with no penalty. Where are you, anyway?

sje · October 2005

Call 311, report this to the Health Department. Your landlords will have to take care of fixing things, or they will get fined. Or save yourself the stress and move, if you can. Your situation sounds horrible, I narrowly missed a different but comparable scenario this summer, but changed my mind at the last minute about moving in. So glad about it.

anonymous · October 2005

My god, where are you living?

jack · October 2005

sje wrote: Call 311, report this to the Health Department. Your landlords will have to take care of fixing things, or they will get fined. Or save yourself the stress and move, if you can. Your situation sounds horrible, I narrowly missed a different but comparable scenario this summer, but changed my mind at the last minute about moving in. So glad about it.

As someone who grew up in a building that was once decent, but then when to crap when new owners tried to push people out I--and let the building fall apart and rented apartments to addicts--have some solid advice.

Just leave.

If you feel the need to report this stuff, contact the health department, building department and others. But do so in a way that will cover your back and make sure you don't get haunted by these slumlords ever again. Also keep in mind that if the building has drug use going on, you're reporting anyting can put you at risk. Risk of dealers or flunkies (and junkies) wanting to shut you up.

But seriously, just leave.

And don't even prentend a lease means anything in a situaion like that.

Sorry to sound a tad paniced, but the chances of you--or anyone--in that building truly changing things are really slim to none. Be careful and be smart. And get out

And if you got the place through a broker, I would recommend exploring options of suing or publically outing the broker.

I have not dealt with them directly--and they are Park Slope focused--but I would recommend contacting the Fifth Avenue Committee to see if they have any recommendations on what you can do.

anonymous · October 2005

I live in one of the gracious twin grey buildings on Underhill across from "Associated."

After talking with management, I was told that repairs requested from three years ago have not yet been filled.

I called 311, they came by, I spoke with them...and that was the end of that.

I don't remember this being the Brooklyn I grew up in...or maybe that's because I was completely oblivious.

You all have been extremely helpful, thanks.

atomische · February 2006

Subject: they sell drugs there?

I've lived across the street for a couple years -- wish I knew!

No, in all seriousness, you can't say you signed a lease there because you were fooled into it. As I said, I've lived across the street for years and it has always been a 'high-traffic' building. There's absolutely no way you could have moved in and only discovered the fact later.

That said, I'm not condoning the conditions you are reporting. Although as a neighbor I don't see many of the things -- except for more fire calls than is normal.

What I am saying is ... open your eyes a little bit further before you move in, and you'll notice there is no doorman.

vanilla · February 2006

i think there might be some middle ground between "squalid" & "doorman" living conditions//buildings. no?

Tips to Avoid Living in Squalid Conditions

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