Moved into room on April 1, wooed in part by the live-in landlord/owner who promised to make lots of improvements to the property (a 120-year-old brownstone).
Immediately noticed numerous issues, such as:
missing/broken floor tiles in bathroom
improperly installed toilet in bathroom
mold in bathroom
lack of heat
dripping faucets, clogged drains
lack of smoke detectors and carbon monoxide detectors
filthy common areas (I had to clean the laundry room and bathroom on my own when I moved in, they were so
ing)
loose/broken steps
lingering trash in backyard
badly lit hallways and stairways
no lock on my front door (so I can't access it via a key)
I sent a letter to the landlord via certified mail mid-April enumerating the issues above and inquiring about the status of a fire inspection because I could see the FDNY was sending numerous letters to the house.
Landlord didn't respond to the letter.
At that point, I chose to withhold rent until he paid attention to my concerns.
Today he sent me an email demanding rent immediately and threatening to take it to collections (WTF?). I responded with a comprehensive spreadsheet of all the repairs needed on the property to make it conform to the Housing Maintenance Code/Warranty of Habitability.
I'm genuinely concerned about the safety of the property. Another tenant already took a bad tumble down the stairs, in part because they are not lit at night. The stairways look/feel/sound like they are about to crumble, as well.
Also, I am wondering about illegal apartment conversions. The house was originally a one-family dwelling; at some point it was converted to three apartments. The landlord just constructed a wall on the third floor - presumably to create another bedroom he can rent out. Is this legal?
Am I wrong to withhold rent? What should I do?