Hi,
I've been living in an apartment in Queens, NY since May. Ever since I've moved in, I've been having a slew of health issues, requiring very expensive medical bills (severe eczema, allergies, depression, anxiety) and a leave of absence from work. I had a hunch about what it could be, and today I found out that it could be mold in my apartment.
I've found mold on my doorframe in the past and the landlord brushed it aside. My room has been smelling musky, and I've been sleeping in my living room (without wooden floors) for the last few days to cope. I also have wooden floors that are severely warped due to water damage. When I moved in, the landlord said it was coated over and cleaned so there were no issues.
I didn't want to call mold inspection professionals without calling my super, so the super tells me today that there's construction being done in my building due to the fact that the building isn't properly sealed off and isn't waterproof. He even told me that since I'm on the top floor, I'm more susceptible to mold. Aren't we legally required to be told this information?
Should I pay for an inspector to come in for professional confirmation? I'm hesitant because last night, I was also locked in my own apartment (which doesn't have a fire exit by the way), and after contacting my landlord without a response, I contacted a locksmith to break me out. The charges came out to $342, but my landlord refused to pay and is requiring my roommate and I to foot the bill.
What should I do? Any advice is greatly appreciated.
Cheers
Tl;dr: Apartment isn't waterproof and building Super admitted we are susceptible to mold, and in turn, my incessant health problems. We had no notice about the construction work being done. What should we do?