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Old 06-23-2010, 11:13 AM
 
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I don't believe that's enough to forgive your breaking the lease, which would mean you're still liable for the rent. It sounds as if you haven't even taken care of the first formality - writing the landlord a letter and getting it down on paper. Start with that.
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Old 06-23-2010, 12:25 PM
 
Location: LES & Brooklyn
1,209 posts, read 2,927,587 times
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Also making calls to 311 helps. Have you done this? Building will get the complaints and it will be documented with HPD. Inspectors will come, violations will be made. Building has to prove to HPD the problem has been corrected.
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Old 06-23-2010, 01:13 PM
 
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When I first moved into my apartment I had mad problems with mice. I titled my place as mice central. I didn't know how they were getting in and I must have trapped a dozen of these things in the beginning.

Moving was not an option for various reasons and the super here is very lazy and the owners very tight w/ money.

So my attitude was to hell w/ waiting for someone to do something while I'm living w/ the pest.

You got to look high and low for openings anywhere in your apartment. I was surprised what I found. My apartment had 2 inch spaces above and below each window! I found this out after actually watching a mouse scurry for cover then climbed up my speaker wire onto the opening under the window. I got plaster for that and filled it in. I later realized after getting a good amount of fruit flies and regular flies in my apartment even when a door or window wasn't cracked that the 2 inch space above the window allowed them to come in.

After getting a hold on the mice problem I suspected they were still getting in and couldn't figure it out and by this time the roach problem began. When I first moved in I hardly saw one then it began to increase even w/ using boric acid. Boric acid helps only to an extent. I caulked every wall boarder once I discovered an 1/8 inch opening where the floor didn't meet the floor board. Before caulking I used to put boric acid in the gap but found a few roaches were killed but many just walked through it.

O'k, no more mice droppings but find places where mice urine was left. Roaches cut down a lot but I didn't want to see a one.

Found cracks and openings in the oddest places like in my closets. Holes were just above the door joint right on the inside of the door. Holes were also around the shelving that weren't visible looking eye level. I also used a mirror in places I didn't have a clear view.

Sorry for the long post but just trying to help you. You have to cover every inch of your apartment. Get on a step stool and look, use a flashlight or lamp, get on the floor and really take a close look at the floorboards. Take a very close look. One of the early mistakes I made was thinking nothing could get in some of the spaces I found until one day after I chased down a roach in my kitchen it slipped behind the cabinet that was flush to the wall. I thought not even a slip of paper could get between there but an adult roach did. I caulked all around the cabinets, windows, doors, electrical box, you name it I caulked.

Now I can go days without seeing a roach. Any that I've seen I quickly kill. I pour bleach down my drains at night since they can come up that way. I have roach baits in every area where they used to be. I sprayed insulating foam all around the radiator valve where roaches and mice used to come up.

I haven't seen or heard evidence of mice either.

None of this was easy but I was determined not to live with the bastards.

Use caulk, steel wool (if you have mice), and plaster. I swear by the Combat Platinum Roach baits. As others have said get behind the stove, refrigerator--spray and put roach baits there, caulk and fill holes under sinks. Keep water and dishes out of the sink and make sure you keep it dry. Although just being clean isn't enough to keep roaches away you have to keep clean. Roaches can feed on the smallest crumb. Small roaches feed on the adult fecal matter and anywhere you see that this is were they'll congregate. So you have to make sure you clean and wipe with bleach all roach poop.

You can find out they're paths by using the sticky traps.

Good luck.

Last edited by luvnyc; 06-23-2010 at 01:22 PM..
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Old 06-23-2010, 03:24 PM
 
Location: Bronx, NY
5,720 posts, read 20,041,025 times
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The mice problem is easily resolved. All you have to do is get a cat. Since we bought our cat my apartment has been mouse free. There's been three incidents where the mice foolishly thought they can get passed my very alert and quick cat, needless to say they were all toast.

If you get a cat, the mice know about. They can smell him. This psyches them out and they wouldn't dare to go out in the open. If they do they are guaranteed dead.

I think cats should be mandatory.
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Old 06-23-2010, 03:32 PM
 
979 posts, read 4,455,063 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SuperMario View Post
Since we bought our cat my apartment has been mouse free.
You actually paid money for a cat in NYC?
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Old 06-23-2010, 04:25 PM
 
Location: Austin
15,625 posts, read 10,378,651 times
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Your post made me laugh. I don't have any advice just a story. I had a big problem with roaches in my first Manhattan apartment but only periodically. Most of the time there were no roaches. It was a well maintained building on the UWS but several days a month I would be INUNDATED by roaches. So many roaches came during those days that in the morning when I headed to the kitchen, I could hear the roaches scurring on the kitchen floor, ughghghg. I asked my neighbors, a ballet couple and an old woman, if they had noticed the weird roach cycles. It turned out the rent controlled old woman had her dirty, unkept apartment sprayed for roaches every month. Her spraying chased her roaches into my place next door like clockwork each month.

I moved at the end of my lease.
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Old 06-23-2010, 05:45 PM
 
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Eww, TexanYankee.

The same was happening here in this building. Whenever someone would move management would put foggers in the apartment before renting it out again. Most of the roaches just ran to other's apartments like mine.



...floorboards...will not much you can do about loose floor boards Im afraid..

Citycondo, there is something you can do. You can use wood filler or plastic wood to fill in spaces in floor boards. I had to do this too. If it's a wide space then use a shim and wood filler. After it dries use polyurethane to cover.

Shame I have to become my own handyman since my super is lazy.
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Old 06-23-2010, 05:55 PM
 
33,999 posts, read 47,230,787 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SobroGuy View Post
As an owner of a 3 family, I can tell you that prior to renovating the building there were roaches/mice/rats. It took 2 sessions of an exterminator to get rid of the roaches...and they never came back. However I am still battling the mice problem (no more rats)...they are teeny weenie mice..and always manage to get in. I have brought the exterminator repeatedly but there isn't much you can do...mice wil always get in no matter what..especially in winter...you just have to keep the place baited properly and stay on top of it.
i heard mice hate peppermint oil. try putting a drop or 2 by every crack you see.
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Old 06-23-2010, 05:59 PM
 
33,999 posts, read 47,230,787 times
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Quote:
Originally Posted by SuperMario View Post
The mice problem is easily resolved. All you have to do is get a cat. Since we bought our cat my apartment has been mouse free. There's been three incidents where the mice foolishly thought they can get passed my very alert and quick cat, needless to say they were all toast.

If you get a cat, the mice know about. They can smell him. This psyches them out and they wouldn't dare to go out in the open. If they do they are guaranteed dead.

I think cats should be mandatory.
a cat is also excellent for getting rid of mice, they're natural enemies.
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Old 06-23-2010, 11:03 PM
 
118 posts, read 443,509 times
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First, every time you see a roach or mouse GET OUT THE CAMCORDER. Use a regular camera if you don't own a camcorder. Document, document, document. Write a formal letter to your landlord with the specific sections of the law she is in violation of INCLUDED. Cite specific instances and dates. Then, save a copy for yourself. If the situation is not resolved after that, go to an attorney. Many will not charge a fee unless they win your case, so you have nothing to lose.
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