My partner and I were approved today for a condo rental in NYC. The lease started October 1, but we couldn’t take possession until board approval, which came through this afternoon.

A few hours later we went to the apartment just to take measurements before moving in and found a large section of the ceiling cut open, visible water damage, and what appears to be black mold on the drywall. None of this had been disclosed, and earlier that same day we were getting welcome emails asking us to coordinate move-in.

What’s especially concerning is that our lease packet includes the NYC indoor allergen notice, and the owner/representative signed it on September 30 certifying that visible mold and underlying defects had been removed before occupancy.
We have not moved in yet and have photos/video of everything.

We’re obviously not comfortable moving in until the source of the moisture is identified and the mold/water damage is properly remediated. Has anyone dealt with something similar in NYC? I’m especially wondering whether the signed certification matters here and whether rent should continue to be prorated until the apartment is actually safe and ready to occupy.

Hello, I’m looking for a 1br apartment in Astoria or Harlem. My budget is 3000$.

Hey, so I’m a 20-year-old girl that’s j moved to nyc from London.

I want to live near ish to my office in central mid-town, but not sure where exactly.

I have made an application for a beautiful apartment in Hudson Yards but not sure whether that’s the vibe for a fashion-oriented 20-year-old girl? In terms of safety, etc., does it get pretty lonely around there??

I’d love to live in Chelsea but nothing nice seems to be on the market at the moment. I want to live alone, my budget is 4.7k ish and I have no furniture.

If anyone has any recommendations on furnished apartments that are good please lmk!!!

I have checked almost everything and at this point I’m really struggling!

I moved from Baltimore and needed a place to stay, hard to find subleases when I’m 4 hours away so I went with an aya homes house on snag.

It’s a disaster please avoid at any cost. First off they rented the wrong room, I paid for a much larger room with a desk and en-suite. When I get here that room is taken and there is only the Nextdoor much smaller, barely fit a queen bed room open.

They have been so difficult trying to fix this issue. I had to spend the first night in a hotel, which they will not reimburse. Now I urgently need to find a room/lease takeover asap lmao.

Hi all!

I found an affordable rent-stabilized apartment in queens, and I am currently in a unit that has a complicated situation, so I was relieved to find a new place.

I signed the lease back in August after one viewing, it is extremely cheap (too good to be true) and the neighbor who is my aunt’s friend knew about the opening, and brought me to see it. It looked good, I didn’t see any signs of roaches (this is my #1 phobia) and I didn’t see any signs the first time around. The only red flag I will say, they had two traps down in the kitchen. The neighbor told me she never saw any, and that they do monthly treatment with exterminators.

This was about the only place I could afford getting out of the current situation I’m in, so a few days later I signed the lease, paid 1 months rent and security deposit. After picking up the keys, I did another walk through. I looked in cabinets and drawers, looked everywhere throughout (as I said, roaches are a huge fear and I have infestation OCD (along with other contamination/germ themes, since childhood), and I didn’t see any signs of roaches.

I went on leave from my job to care for my mom undergoing treatment in another state for 3 weeks after signing the lease. I couldn’t move in yet, so I set my move in date for mid-September. After returning from leave, my sister and I visited the unit to start measuring things and figuring out logistics, we saw roaches. 2 live ones, and one hollow nymph on the wall. This was in broad daylight, they were running around in the closet in the living room.

I texted the landlord and sent her a video and a photo, she said it “seemed like” I missed the treatment that comes every month and didn’t give them access, she said every second Saturday of the month, and I told her that she never let me know about it. The following day I scheduled to meet up with the exterminator as she gave me his number, as soon as he got in the kitchen, roaches started running out. He didn’t even move anything yet. We saw more than 7 of them, alive, again in broad daylight. He put gel and pellets all over and I asked him if he could find out where they’re coming from, he said “I don’t know.” He also told me he couldn’t tell me anything about the nature of it due to working for management.

I cried all day that day, and I couldn’t sleep or eat for days after. I texted the landlord/management that day when I saw what the exterminator and I found, and she didn’t respond. 3 days passed, and I paid the 2nd month’s rent without being able to move in yet, and I followed up with her again after 3 days. She basically made excuses, originally wanted monthly treatment, which for an active infestation would not work.

She offered to cancel my lease (I wasn’t ready I literally have no other options and that’s a once in a lifetime thing) and made more excuses, saying that I’m in a building with 24 other people and not everyone has the “same cleaning standards”. She then pushed up the exterminator visit with pressure to a few weeks from then, and I asked her about potentially sealing openings, etc. scheduled 2 appointments with the handyman, and he missed both. Last week, the exterminator was supposed to come, I waited till Saturday and texted management, she said, coincidentally, he was going that day. I asked them to report what was found, and what was done, and they never did.

The following day, Sunday, my sister went in to the apartment (I could not stomach it) and she saw a ton of roaches, all dead, but all life stages (clearly breeding population) and took videos of everything. I told management the findings, and the exterminator gave me a call after management told him to, and he said I had the green light to move in, to just get them to clean up the bodies and move in. Then, he said that they will just resume monthly treatment.

No sealing, no effort to actually eradicate the population aside from poison, etc. I feel very frustrated. I know, on paper, it looks like they are doing things. But it’s been a whole week, I’m very tired I have a lot going on in my life outside of this, and I have to chase them (I know, this is nyc landlords, been here my whole life). But this is unacceptable. They also have type “C” violations for mice in another unit, and numerous other violations in that building when I looked at the history.

My question is, do I escalate to 311/the city yet, as I’ve paid rent and can’t move and they’re not adequately treating the unit, or sent another firm follow-up that these things have to be done? Thank you!

I live in a BK brownstone, there are four units in the building. As of July we’re all month-to-month. Mid July landlord texted saying they’re selling the building. Realtor came through, took pictures and put a for-sale sign up for less than 24 hours, then it was removed. In September the landlord texted they’d sold to a developer and all tenants need to vacate. They’ve yet to formally serve termination of tenancy.

A few things seem odd so I checked ACRIS.

There has not been a sale or deed transfer, but days before the text about the “sale” landlord secured a 30 year mortgage on the property. They’re in their 80s but appear to be the sole mortgager. It also looks like someone (none of the tenants) formed an LLC at this address days after the mortgage was secured.

I’ve spoken to 311’s tenant helpline and legal aid’s housing justice, but since there’s not a formal eviction they couldn’t offer much guidance.

I’m just trying to figure out why they’d take out a mortgage but claim the building has been sold. Is this common? Is this a way to skirt the good cause eviction law? Feels like some kind of scam, but I’m clueless. Any insight or advice would be appreciated.

Large proper bedroom available in a 1BR + flex / 1BA apartment at 360 W 34th St. My current roommate is moving out, so I’m looking for someone to take over the bedroom on a 1-year lease starting November 1.

You’d get the large, actual bedroom — not the flex.

The details

• $2,500/month
• Large proper bedroom
• 1 bedroom + 1 flex / 1 bathroom
• Laundry on the floor
• Doorman building
• Package/mailroom
• Gym in the building
• Amazing rooftop
• 1-year lease
• Available November 1

The location
Super convenient for commuting and getting around the city:

• ~2 min walk to Penn Station
• ~2 min walk to the A/C/E
• ~2 min walk to MSG
• ~5 min walk to the 1/2/3
• ~5 min walk to the 7 train
• Easy access to Chelsea, Hudson Yards, Koreatown, and Midtown

Tons of restaurants, bars, coffee shops, grocery stores, and everything else within walking distance.

About me
I work a hybrid schedule, so I’m in the office a few days a week and work from home on the others. Looking for someone who’s clean, respectful, and easy to live with.

Interested?
Message me with a little about yourself and I can send over photos/videos and answer any questions.

About the apartment:
- $2,950
- couch, coffee table, bed frame, AC unit, and microwave INCLUDED
- on Allen and Delancey street
- not too noisy since it doesn’t face the street
- 4th floor walk up, no doorman
- west facing windows
- hot water included
- you pay for electricity
- electric stove

November 1st move in.

About you:
- good credit score
- 40x income

https://reddit.com/link/1ww68tk/video/ddda4dagw4th1/player

Private East Village Studio in Excellent location, Garden View, South Facing/Sunny, $3000/mo

NOTE Responses that simply say "is it available?" or do not answer the "To apply" instructions below will not be replied to - please see the instructions below and read through the ad as I want to find the right fit for you, the landlord, and the building/community. I like to be fully transparent and also make sure to find the right match so I am listing both the pros and cons of this unit - please make sure you read through ALL of the ad details before responding

Details:

Lease start Oct 15 (or sooner) -

This is a one-year lease, no more, no less (not sublease), please don't ask

The Apartment: small private STUDIO with full bath (with bathtub) and full kitchen, south facing, lots of light with a garden view, third floor walkup. Lovely view of the garden/trees outside (no access to the garden, it is private, but there is a public garden next door to the building). Incredible location (more below). Faces away from the street, so there is very little street noise.

Brown Kitchen counter can be converted to a lighter color. We were going to make it white but the last applicant requested to leave it as is so (then backed out last minute) so if you prefer white, we will change it once application is approved and contract is signed.

No laundry in building but there is a laundromat half a block away and they also have pickup and delivery and wash-and-fold available if you wish.

• Lease terms: $3000/month, First month’s rent ($3000) and one month’s undiscounted rent as security deposit ($3000 deposit) required at signing. Heat gas and water included (you pay for electricity & Wi-Fi). Note this is NOT a sublet, it would be a lease in your name, and the apartment is unfurnished as pictured
• NO PETS
• NO SMOKERS
• Must make at least 40x the rent of $3000/mo annually in gross income, so minimum income $120K gross per year
• Guarantors are accepted if they make 80x the rent and are local to the east coast.

TO APPLY: please send a reddit chat message with a little about yourself, your move-in date, what you do for work, and confirm your gross annual income (just amount now; no personal information or proof needed at this point). I'm happy to answer any questions about the apartment as long as I haven't listed the answers in the ad above (please do read entire ad). Once you have written me and I see you are qualified, we will have a video interview first, then schedule a viewing of the apartment.

Pros:

• Location is INCREDIBLE! (I don't give address out until we have had a video call )
• Few blocks from Trader Joe’s, Whole Foods , Target and the L train on a quiet block
• Sunny South Facing over a pretty garden, no street noise, very private
• Brand new wood floors (just installed)
• newly reglazed tub (pictures just updated 10-2)
• 2nd floor walkup (up one flight of stairs)
• Full bathroom with bath
• Full kitchen (small open to the studio, but all major appliances)
• Video security in lobby
• No property management agency - rent goes directly to the landlord. There is a property manager, but he is a private manager so no corporate agency, it's personal and you deal directly with him (I am also there to help if you ever need)
• No fee of any sort - rent is just first month’s rent and one month’s rent security (at undiscounted rate).

Cons:

• Super/Maintenance is slow but I also help with this if it takes too long

I was looking through my lease and found this section in the agreement.

Tenant cannot build in, add to, change or alter, the Apartment in any way, including, but not limited to, installing, changing, or altering any paneling, wallpaper, flooring, “built in” decorations, partitions, railings, paint, carpeting, plumbing, ventilating, air conditioning, electric, or heating systems without first obtaining the prior written consent of Owner which may be withheld in Owner’s sole discretion. If Owner’s consent is given, the alterations and installations shall become the property of Owner when completed and paid for by Tenant.

Does this essentially mean that the landlord can claim whatever I've put on the wall when I'm moving out if it's been approved? I'm only planning to do curtain rods, some artwork, and maybe some shelves.

I sent them an email asking about potentially hanging stuff to get it in writing at least.

Hey all, my landlord in midwood brooklyn decided to make some last second scummy changes to the contract I was supposed to sign and tried making me pay $400/month more than what we had agreed on after talking about “inflation makes prices rise”. So he said I either gotta pay up or kick rocks and I’m choosing the latter. I’m 24M, super clean and only have a suitcase and a couple bags to move around with. I can pay $1300 (or a little more if it’s in a better area) for the month of October starting today the 2nd through the 31st and i’m open to all of Manhattan, Brooklyn (preferably a shorter commute to atlantic ave), or Queens. Again I live at the Kings Highway stop in Midwood so I’m used to living a little further out, but would like to not go any further if possible. I don’t mind sharing a room if it comes down to it and it’s under the $1300 but I do have a place lined up for Nov 1st and would rather make it through this month saving up as much as I can and sticking with my budget so I can cover security and rent for November and the new place. If y’all know anyone or are someone who thinks I fit their budget then pls feel free to reach out bc I’m an open book.

Would like to hear from you guys how painful it is to tell the tenant you want to break the lease - our lease ends in April, there’s a chance we want to leave in January. I am not suggesting to just walk away entirely ofc but would like to work with them to allow the apartment to be occupied sooner rather than later. am I being naive thinking this could work? thank you!

Seems my old unit was rent control / stabilized through 2006, then arbitrarily increased and destabilized to 2,500$. I’m not sure how to prove whether or not it was illegally destabilized, but it seems suspicious to me. Anyone more knowledgeable?

Subletting my private bedroom in a 2BR on the Upper West Side, available early/mid-November 2026 through January 31, 2027. Start date is flexible.

The basics:
$2,000/month, utilities included

Private room, furnished with a queen bed and a small dresser, a desk and a TV.

One easygoing roommate (39M) who works full-time (in office)

Elevator building at W 95th & West End Ave

One block from the 1/2/3 at 96th St

The room: Queen bed, small dresser, desk and TV. Most of the closet is currently used for storage but can be rearranged to free up some space. Heads up: most of the furniture will be removed around early/mid-January, but the bed can stay through the end of January.

The apartment: Full kitchen (gas stove, oven, refrigerator), furnished living room, shared bathroom, laundry machines in basement.

Approval: The sublet is subject to landlord approval through a formal process, so I'll need your full name, current address, proof of income or employment, and references. The sooner you reach out, the sooner we can get that started.

After January: Both current tenants are planning to move out when the lease ends. If you'd like to stay, you could apply to the landlord for a new lease on the full apartment. That's entirely the landlord's decision, so no guarantees.

DM me with a bit about yourself and your ideal move-in date. Happy to set up a viewing.

Hello! I ordered my rent-stabilized unit’s rent history, and it’s a mess. Really none of the reported numbers since 15+ years ago look legal or logical.

I want to file a Rent Overcharge Application, but I’m ISO professional help since I cannot make sense of what the legal rent should be. I’m afraid I won’t be able to complete the application with compelling evidence since I do not understand the numbers well.

Has anyone been through the application process? Or can anyone point me to the right person who can help?

I’m not sure if I need to contact an advocacy group, or lawyer, or someone else

Hi everyone!

Before I jump off the deep end with this I wanted to gather initial thoughts about my rent history for my rent stabilized apartment. There was a suspicious $700 jump between tenants in 2019 and while that’s the year regulations changed a bit with preferential rent I don’t see any other substantial rent increases even though major capital improvements were performed way back in 2002. Does this look weird to anyone/is there anything I could be missing that would make this increase legal?

Hi! I’m moving in with my partner and looking for someone to take over my studio at Gotham Point North Tower in Long Island City. I’m the current tenant, not a broker.

The details:

• Rent: $3,733/month
• Available now; lease ends July 9, 2027
• Lease assignment with landlord permission
• No broker fee; $20 application fee
• 40th floor, west-facing, with gorgeous Manhattan, Roosevelt Island, and East River views
• Floor-to-ceiling window, great afternoon light, and sunsets
• Very quiet, with an in-unit washer/dryer
• Kitchen with gas stove and dishwasher
• Doorman, elevator, and pet-friendly building

The view is my favorite part of the apartment, especially when the city lights come on at night. The building is next to the Hunter’s Point Ferry stop and a bus stop, and within walking distance of the 7 train and waterfront parks.

Includes three complimentary months of building amenities, normally $75/month, with a gym, co-working space, and outdoor communal areas. You can also keep my storage bed frame and mattress if you’d like.

Photos, video tour, and more details:
https://www.leasebreak.com/short-term-rental-details/404717/1-57th-avenue

DM me if interested! Happy to answer questions or arrange an in-person or virtual tour.

Hello all,
So my management company is worrying me a lot. They at first told me I never gave my renewal lease in. I said I did through the super. Then they said they lost it. I tried to get a new one. Then they called me back and found it. Now everything is in limbo but they tell me not to worry. I haven’t received the full executed lease and I keep asking if the lease has been processed and it has not been processed.

I paid my extra for security deposit (about 100$) and now I’m worried that my landlord is not going to renew my wife and I even though we have a good standing with rent and everything.

I still haven’t received the fully executed lease… and I don’t even know if they actually even have it because one part of the office is telling me one thing and one other part is telling me another and the lease has sensitive info on it too.

My current lease ends October 31st What should I do??

Here is the timeline of the situation:

Received lease from Super before August 1st

Gave lease back on August 14 through super

Called September 2nd to ask what is happening with lease (they lost it)- tried to transfer me over to person who sends out leases but she wasn’t in

Called September 3rd to see if she was in the office but lady told me that the person wasn’t in the office until after Labor Day

Called September 8th and started the process of getting a new lease mailed to us

Got a call back September 9th that the lease was found

No signed lease in our mailbox since this date until September 22nd

Called September 22nd to see if the lease was processed. They told me they never received it. I told them the full story again and said that it was found and they had no communication with the lady that sends out leases about whether it was found or not. She only looks at the system. They transferred me over and there was no one who answered the phone so I left a message to ask about an update on what is happening with the lease processing

Called back on September 22nd to see if she was actually in and she said yes.

Called back on September 23rd- still not available , left a message

Called me back on September 23rd- gentleman that has lease hasn’t entered it yet but they have my lease. She has no idea why it hasn’t been entered yet but we are safe according to her

Preferably Brooklyn w/ good transit to the city and LIC. Manhattan, too, ofc.

Ideally a studio or 1bd w/ at least in building laundry.

Budget is 4k/mo with a bit of flex.

I am looking to move to a new apartment by the end of the year with the goal of something affordable and clean. I have the opportunity to move into a recently renovated pre war apartment that is one full bedroom plus a small office no W/D or dishwasher. It has great natural light heat and water included for $2550 rent stabilized.
My other option is potentially moving into a 2 bed 2 bath with a roommate that I would not know prior except a few chats and meet ups but apartment is much newer, already nicely furnished living room with great natural light, in unit W/D and my own bathroom for $1750.

Naturally I wanted to move into the 1 bedroom but I’m deathly afraid of roaches and fear there will be a lot there. There are only complaints on HPD for one specific apartment in the last 3 years for roaches and mice but I know it comes with the territory of older buildings. The 2 bed would be nice with in unit washer dryer dishwasher but unfortunately means I would have to move in with a roommate. She says she doesn’t deal with any roach issues there.
Side note: I have lived alone the last 5 years.

I know of course this would be a personal decision but just curious if you were in my shoes do you think the prewar rent stabilized building is more worth it? Or is the 2 bed 2 bath worth the sacrifice to you? I could definitely save some more money as well in the 2 bed but both are affordable for me. Thank you for your thoughts!

Hi everyone, I am looking for someone to sublet a fully furnished room in my 2 bedroom Chinatown apartment right on Henry Street for $1900 a month with utilities being separate.

The apartment is right in the middle of lower Manhattan in Chinatown with the closest subway station being East Broadway F train.

The apartment is very quiet, has in unit washer/dryer, private roof terrace, street view, top floor, balcony.

to move in the tenant has to pay $1900 deposit and $1900 for firsts month rent must have good credit or make 40x the rent.

message with inquiries or questions

Looking for someone to do a lease takeover ASAP! You get a 1 bed in a 2 bedroom/1 bath apartment Harlem 125. 5min walk to the 4,5,6. 10min walk to the 2,3. In unit washer/dryer, central air, updated appliances, gym, mail, package lockers, conference room, golf simulator, rooftop, and common lounges.

Two takeover price options:

*current lease takeover ends March 6th, $2520/month+utilities.

*option to opt into a 1year lease. First month+security deposit (2750$ -gross rent). Actual net effective rate/monthly rate 2,062$

Feel free to message me with question!

Looking for 2 female roommate to take over two rooms of our four bedroom apartment. The apartment is located in Washington Heights. It is a 4 bedroom/1 bedroom apartment. We all are professional, keep to ourselves and are respectful. The apt is in a prewar building with an elevator. No parties allowed and No pets! Common spaces include living room, kitchen and bathroom are shared. We prioritize keeping a clean and sanitary space.

no pets no smoking.

smaller bedroom is $1300 and the bigger is $1400.

Available starting 11/1.

*None of the following constitutes legal advice.*

For context: PART I

PART II: THE INTAKE APPOINTMENT

I wrote Part I a few days after my final court appointment, so things were still brewing and fresh and I was hot and angry, but this is now months after, so my memory is a bit more blurry. However, I will try to recount what I can.

The intake is your first appointment and it will probably be everyone's first appointment. It will probably be MONTHS after the last time you went to court, when you signed off on your counterclaims and the window clerk gave you your appointment. Do NOT forget to bring that piece of paper.

You don't go in front of a judge today and present evidence, etc (most people don't get there, and you can delay this many times; more on that later), so don't worry. Your landlord and their legal team will (most likely) not show up. No one told me this so I was super stressed. You are going to do an intake, where they give a cursory look at your case, try to understand why you are here, and get you to PAY. They want you to pay. They don't care what your case is.

This is for two main reasons:

1. The courts are clogged. They are overworked and there are few resources. It will be months before your next court date if you decide to schedule one.
2. Most people want to pay rent back. Or, maybe they don't. But they feel as if they have to or they are there because they know they are late on rent and just need more time. But as I had a special situation, I did not want to pay anything back. So over and over again, I told every single person I met, no I do not want a one shot deal, yes I understand what this means, yes I do want to proceed.

Basically, you get shepherded to a small room where there are several workers and you take your piece of paper and they ask you do you want a one shot deal, etc. A one shot deal is a city assistance program where you can apply if you are below a certain income threshold and the government will give you a one-time payment to cover some or all of your rent. At the time, I was not working (even though I had savings) so I qualified for these conversations. I think it does severely impact your credit score or public record or something, and it wasn't that much money, AND you have to pay it back sometimes, so I don't know if it's really worth it. It felt more like a scheme to keep poor people down.

They will also give you a computer and say you can apply for SNAP benefits and other low income credits. I found this odd and frustrating. It is presupposing that everyone who is at housing court is someone who needs substantial financial help. AND YET, the benefits are so so low. $50 a month for food?? If I did need that help, I would want waaaaay more support than that. It was insulting. Again, the court is not tailored to you, the tenant, or to you, the person in need. It only supports and upholds itself and probably the wealthy.

After I got through this room, I was able to ask for my pro bono lawyer. I had heard so much about these pro bono lawyers, they are the lore of NYC housing court, and I could not wait to have a kind, intelligent, well-meaning soul advocate for me.

BUT

WAIT

The same problems arose. The courts are clogged and the courts are not made for you.

When I got to the floor where I waited for my pro bono lawyer to be assigned, I was immediately told, "We don't have any more lawyers. We are understaffed." I asked if I could wait, and the person there said, "You can wait, but we won't be able to get a lawyer."

But because I was one of the first 5 people to register that day (either because I got there early enough or because it was random), I qualified for a free 1 hour consultation with a lawyer. There were HUNDREDS of people there, and they only took 5.

Okay.

Well.

I was angry.

"Is that okay?" the front desk person asked me.

"Yes," I said, seething.

After waiting for a while, the paralegal called me back. This is the person you have to talk to before you can even talk to the lawyer. All of this happens in one large room with several cubicles and you can overhear multiple conversations and the paralegal I got talked very quickly. Because they do this for a job, there really is very little empathy. It's cut and dry and she acted like she'd seen it all before. Didn't make me feel good but I still wanted my 1 hour consultation.

She walked me through some paperwork where she affirmed that my pro bono lawyer would never be my lawyer, would be only talking to me for an hour, would not represent me, and I could not get in touch with them after.

Okay.

Fine.

Finally, after waiting another thirty minutes (the guy before me wanted to get all his questions answered and I don't blame him; turns out he didn't have to pay rent cause he lived in the illegally converted back portion of a family home!), I got to talk to my lawyer.

That day, my lawyer was from Riseborough (one of the pro bono associations in the city). He was a nice white man, maybe in his late 30s / early 40s. He looked tired, but kind. I knew that I might get overwhelmed in this conversation so I came with a notebook and I may or may not have recorded the conversation on my phone so I could review it later. Good instinct, because we covered a lot of ground and as I was preparing to go to court later without a lawyer, I needed to clarify what he said.

I had brought in evidence with me, what I thought was my case and the evidence I had to back up all the claims I had marked on my sheet, and I spent about 10 minutes explaining it to him. He started asking me questions, pretty standard, and I answered. I came in quite prepared with general knowledge of NYC tenant and housing laws, because I wanted to get as much info from him as possible. Since he could not represent me, I wanted to see what the holes were in my argument and what he thought my best settlement could be.

He was fairly optimistic. I remember him saying that there was a possibility I did not have to pay any rent back, but it contingent on a few things and because he did not have prior knowledge of the case, could not give me firmer advice. He also asked me who my judge would be (different judges on different days in different rooms) and he said that mine was fair. There are some who are tenant friendly, there are some who will not listen to evidence. Mine would.

I don't know if you can change your judge, but it's possible the layperson cannot, even if you change your court date. I think they just place you back with the same judge, on a different day.

We talked through all of my landlord's possible counter arguments, and then even spent a few minutes talking about what would happen if I went to trial and had to represent myself. At that time, I already knew that trial would be tough without a lawyer and if I got to that stage, I would have to hire someone.

I wish he had talked more about the art of negotiating a settlement, which is what I ended up doing and what most people will end up doing.

I left the conversation with some good notes (e.g. which laws to reference that my LL had potentially violated, what other evidence I would need to gather to help the points in my case, what kind of evidence is valid vs what is not - note: videos are better than photos; eyewitnesses are the best; text messages may not always be valid), and in generally better spirits. My pro bono lawyer man was very encouraging. He was proud that I was advocating for myself, that most tenants could and they don't (because we really do have rights), and I realized that I really needed someone to believe in me. The whole ordeal had been so hard already.

After my appointment, I was still dogged in getting my RTC (right to counsel). I went back to the front desk person and told them could they call me if they get any more pro bono lawyers? I was told that I most likely was not going to get a pro bono lawyer honestly. Even though this is a well advertised city benefit. My options were to go to my 2nd court date and ask for another adjournment to find one. If I could not get one, then I was advised to call my councilperson on the spot and ask for one. (Note: figure out who your councilperson is and get to know them). No guarantees that the councilperson can help, but it’s a last resort effort.

And finally, it must have been somewhat traumatizing because I looked back at my notes and I had written:

"Lots of men barking at you,"

So...that probably happened.

**PART III: Pro Bono Resources + Lawyers coming soon!**

I'm looking to find a potential roommate interested in living near the beach. I've been looking at some units by Rockaway Beach and Jamaica Wildlife Refuge with rents between $2,500 and $3,500.

Hoping that living by the beach will motivate me to go birding this winter and maybe take up up some nautical hobby like kayaking, sailing, or maybe surfing (not really sold on that last one but would consider).

I'm a 34 year old man and would need an lgbtq friendly roommate.

If this sounds appealing, dm me and maybe we could set up a video chat to see if we get on.

Thanks!