Is your New York City apartment building properly maintained, or is it full of safety hazards that could prove tragic? Responsible landlords want their tenants to be safe, so they are proactive about maintenance and repairs.
Use the following checklist to determine whether your apartment building’s owner is a champ or a chump about tenant safety.
- Do maintenance workers perform daily maintenance tasks, e.g., sweeping and mopping the walkways and lobby area, making sure exits are kept obstacle-free, etc.?
- Are the walls and sidewalks riddled with graffiti and other signs of vandalism? Is the sidewalk surface smooth and damage-free?
- Are there loose handrails on the stairways? Is any carpeting ripped or an otherwise hazard to tenants?
- How is the lighting, both inside the building and outside? Is it adequate year-round, with burnt out or broken light bulbs quickly replaced?
- Are there working security cameras, and do all security locks latch properly?
- Do the elevators work, or are they prone to malfunctioning?
- Are smoking detectors in working order, with fresh batteries? What about the fire alarm — does it get tested periodically?
- Is there a protocol for evacuation of the tenants in an emergency? Is this posted prominently? Do tenants know to whom to report maintenance issues?
- Is the grass and foliage kept trimmed, indoor puddles from wet shoes and clothing mopped promptly and walkways outdoors kept free of snow and ice?
If you answered affirmatively for all or most of the above scenarios, you are lucky to have a landlord who is proactive about maintaining a hazard-free premises. If the owner of your apartment building didn’t score so well, bring your safety concerns to his or her attention.
Remember that if you are injured in your apartment building due to a landlord’s or building owner’s neglect, you can take legal action to be financially compensated for your injuries and/or damages.
Source: American Family Insurance, “Smart Safety Precautions That Keep Your Tenants Safe,” accessed Sep. 01, 2017
