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Q: I’m a senior who has lived quietly in my rent-stabilized Brooklyn residence for 22 years. For the previous three years, my residence 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 must reside with vermin, together with bugs. It’s your landlord’s duty to resolve this drawback. So escalate the strain.
Preserve calling 311, and name usually. It’s attainable your newest request was routed to the flawed metropolis company (this needs to be dealt with by the Division of Housing Preservation and Improvement), otherwise you missed a name from an inspector.
“There isn’t 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 strain on the proprietor to resolve the problem.”
Because the bugs are biting you in your sleep, request an inspection for bedbugs as effectively, because it’s attainable you might have multiple infestation and it’s possible you’ll want multiple kind of inspection.
Whereas your 311 calls work their manner by the system, you may file what is named 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 most unlikely that they declare the issue has been resolved in the event that they haven’t finished it. Then they’d be committing perjury; they could possibly be held in contempt.”
Name your neighborhood 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 take care of pests and vermin. You possibly can join it on-line. It would present some helpful info.
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