New York City’s City Council recently passed the FARE Act, meaning tenants are no longer responsible for paying broker fees. Instead, that cost will now be passed on to landlords or management companies and most tenants will no longer have to foot the bill. Let’s take a closer look at what that means for you. […]
As much as 30% of the pipes delivering water to New Yorkers may be made of lead, reported Gothamist this week. And while those odds may be in your favor, it’s certainly more comforting to know for sure whether your building’s pipes are affected. Fortunately, you have a few tools at your disposal. You can […]
Your landlord is responsible for keeping your home and building safe and livable at all times. This is called the “Warranty of Habitability.” Having a record of notifying your landlord makes for a stronger legal case. If your landlord has already been unresponsive to your requests to make repairs, a letter is a great tactic […]
More than just being a nuisance, a heat wave can be harmful to your health. And with climate change causing rising temperatures, heat advisories during the summer are becoming the new normal. Here’s a heat advisory map for the U.S. Last week in New York, cooling centers—indoor, air-conditioned spaces for public use—opened up for use […]
It’s not just your imagination, summers really are getting hotter–especially if the current scorcher is any indication. Therefore, it’s more important than ever for you as a homeowner or seller to make sure your brownstone is equipped for record high temperatures if you want to attract high potential tenants. Here’s what you need to know […]
Your apartment’s roof deck can be a great place to make friends, impress neighbors, throw a great party, and maybe even meet that special someone. However, there are things to keep in mind so you don’t become “that guy” or “that lady” at your building—let alone get on the bad side of the building’s management. […]
Pollen counts are at their peak in NYC in April, May, and September. So even if you’re still feeling them now, we’re sorry to say that you only have a short reprieve before you get hit with them in in a few months. Of course, you can take over-the-counter medications to calm your symptoms or […]
As a kid, you may have heard that rhyme, “step on a crack, break your mother’s back” (sorry mom!). As an adult, a sidewalk crack could mean a whole lot more trouble than that. Broken sidewalks are considered a danger to pedestrians and New York City law holds homeowners responsible for fixing the sidewalks in […]
Given last year’s slowdown in the real estate market, staging your home is more important than ever if you hope to lock down a sale. You might think you need a bunch of money to properly stage a property, but that’s not the case. So don’t worry, no one’s asking you to win the lottery […]
Dust is a serious health hazard. Long-term exposure to high levels of dust in your NYC home can trigger asthma, allergies, headaches, dizziness, nausea, or even make you snore. It can also make your appliances less functional, clogging up your air conditioner and damaging your air quality. Regular cleaning is the obvious solution to keeping […]
