Alanna Schubach
Contributing writer
Contributing editor Alanna Schubach has over a decade of experience as a New York City-based freelance journalist. She has written about real estate for Brick Underground, Mansion Global, and Barron's. She has also contributed features, essays, and op-eds to The Nation, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and The Village Voice. She won a National Association of Real Estate Editors’ silver award in 2018 for her Ask an Expert column for Brick Underground. She is also a fiction writer and a creative writing teacher, and currently lives in Brooklyn.
Posts by Alanna Schubach:
Ask Sam: Can a landlord ask for the last two months’ rent upfront?
August 28, 2019 - 12:00 PM
Under the new rent laws recently passed by the New York State legislature, landlords can no longer require renters to pay the last month’s rent up front.
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Packages are being stolen from our building, and the security camera isn't working. What can we do?
August 26, 2019 - 10:00 AM
There's no city law requiring rental buildings to have functioning security cameras, but it would be reasonable for you and your neighbors to ask management to address this situation, our experts say.
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Ask Sam: How can I get access to my apartment after a fire?
August 14, 2019 - 10:00 AM
If it’s not dangerous to enter the building, you have a right to go back in, says attorney Sam Himmelstein. But if the DOB has put a vacate order on the building, on the other hand, nobody can get inside until the property is deemed safe.
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What kind of credit do I need to qualify for a NYC co-op?
August 12, 2019 - 09:00 AM
NYC co-ops can vary in their expectations of buyers, so if your credit poses a potential concern, do some research ahead of time about what the board is looking for.
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How can I protect myself if I need to break my lease?
August 5, 2019 - 10:00 AM
There's less risk involved in breaking your lease than there used to be, thanks to the new rent laws.
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Can I negotiate the broker fee when I sell my NYC apartment?
July 29, 2019 - 10:00 AM
In the absence of a buyer's broker, it makes sense that you would question whether it makes sense to still pay the full 6 percent, so you can try to lower that amount in the listing agreement. But there may be a risk in going too low with the fee you set.
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