health & safety

Fire escape on brick apartment building in NYC
Troubleshooting
A fire safety checklist for your NYC apartment building
By Brick Underground |October 8, 2025 - 9:30AM
faucet with hand of woman in kitchen for cleaning, drinking and washing dishes. Interior, steel and household plumbing with sink and tap at home for stream, flowing and splash
Troubleshooting
I used NYC’s free program to test my apartment’s drinking water for lead. Here’s how you can too
By Celia Young |March 5, 2025 - 3:30PM
Flowering pink-purpleish tree in front of Park Slope Brownstones
Products + Test-drives
5 ways to allergy-proof your NYC apartment
By Celia Young |April 29, 2024 - 12:30PM
In New York City, United States this older residential building viewed from the High Line has old fashioned fire escapes visible on its exterior.
Troubleshooting
How can I check if my NYC apartment building is fire-code compliant?
By Celia Young |March 6, 2024 - 11:34AM
Exterior view of old New York City style architecture apartment building with windows and fire escapes
Roommates + Landlords
Most NYC residential buildings must install natural gas detectors by 2025
By Celia Young |February 26, 2024 - 10:40AM
Sidewalk scaffolding
Troubleshooting
How can I make a neighboring building owner take down scaffolding that's been up for years?
By Celia Young |January 16, 2024 - 5:30PM
Woman feel cold in home with no heating stock photo
Roommates + Landlords
Can my landlord give me a space heater instead of fixing the heat?
By Celia Young |October 16, 2023 - 1:00PM
Smoke from wildfires obscures the Triborough Bridge.
Small Projects + DIY
5 ways to improve the air quality inside your NYC apartment

… especially for those with asthma says Terry Gordon a professor of environmental medicine at New York Universitys Grossman School of Medicine NYCs hospitals saw the highest number of emergency room … inside when the air quality is low An air quality index AQI reading of above 50 is poor for those in sensitive …

By Celia Young |July 11, 2023 - 12:30PM
Aerial view of Brooklyn, Manhattan, and Williamsburg Bridges in New York City.
Affordable Housing
The Brick Underground Podcast: Office Hours with Sam Himmelstein

… Renting in New York City usually comes with some kind of headachea broken elevator a rent increase leaks mold the list goes on In the latest … for late rent payments if it isnt in the lease What are a landlords obligations for cleaning common areas Can a …

By Emily Myers |May 2, 2023 - 2:30PM