Q: I’m a senior who has lived quietly in my rent-stabilized Brooklyn residence for 22 years. For the previous three years, my house has been infested with biting gnats. I’ve disposed of infested possessions — furnishings, rugs, clothes, bedding — however the bugs proceed to chunk me all through the evening. My complaints to administration have gone unanswered. I paid an exterminator $200, to no avail. One other exterminator stated my landlord needed to make the request, not me. After I referred to as 311, a metropolis inspector visited my residence and contacted the owner, who reported that the issue was resolved. I challenged that, however the case was closed anyway. I opened a brand new criticism and have but to get an inspection. What can I do?
A: You shouldn’t need to dwell with vermin, together with bugs. It’s your landlord’s duty to resolve this drawback. So escalate the stress.
Hold calling 311, and name typically. It’s doable your newest request was routed to the unsuitable metropolis company (this ought to be dealt with by the Division of Housing Preservation and Improvement), otherwise you missed a name from an inspector.
“There is no such thing as a hurt in submitting a number of complaints,” stated William Fowler, an HPD spokesman. “All of that helps construct a paper path and will increase stress on the proprietor to resolve the problem.”
Because the bugs are biting you in your sleep, request an inspection for bedbugs as nicely, because it’s doable you’ve got a couple of infestation and it’s possible you’ll want a couple of sort of inspection.
Whereas your 311 calls work their manner by way of the system, you may file what is called an HP continuing in housing court docket. This can convey your criticism earlier than a choose, who can order the owner to appropriate the issue. You don’t want a lawyer to file a housing court docket case.
“Now the owner has to face in entrance a choose,” stated Samuel J. Himmelstein, a Manhattan lawyer who represents tenants. “It’s impossible that they declare the issue has been resolved in the event that they haven’t executed it. Then they’d be committing perjury; they may very well be held in contempt.”
Name your group board and your native Metropolis Council member’s workplace, and ask them to advocate for you. On June 6, HPD is internet hosting a coaching program on Zoom the place residents can learn to cope with pests and vermin. You may join it on-line. It would present some helpful data.
For weekly e mail updates on residential actual property information, enroll right here.
