We all know the frustrating feeling of having issues in your building. Loud neighbors, broken doors, loss of heat — the list of potential building issues are endless. Have no fear, mycoop is here to give you some tongue-in-cheek advice. Here are our 5 tips for solving issues in your building:
1) Move
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For all of us passive-aggressive folks, this is a great option. You can wait it out, slowly going crazy from the noise/pests/cold/roommates, until the lease is up and you can get out of dodge. Then, you can look forward to a new place and a fresh start…after you go on the apartment hunt.
2) Work it Out With the Landlord or Managing Company
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It seems obvious, but sometimes you just need to pick up the phone and call your management company. Many of these companies manage so many properties that they aren’t always aware of issues. If you’ve contacted them continuously and they still won’t help, try a new tactic to get their attention. Stand outside of their office with a loudspeaker playing your favorite tunes. Send them a singing telegram. Organize a mass candlelight vigil outside their office, mourning the loss of your heat.
3) Canvass Your Neighbors
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Replace the takeout menus under your neighbor’s doors with letters about your building issues, or tack them on the building bulletin board. You may find that other tenants are share the same problem, or perhaps the guy down the hall isn’t aware his 2 am karaoke sessions are keeping you up all night, and a polite note will solve the problem. Or, knocking on doors for some face-to-face interactions can be effective. While it may initially seem awkward or intrusive, you may end up walking away with a new friend and an ally to help you solve your building’s problems see this example. Or, at least the guy down the hall can become your new karaoke partner.
4) Take a Vacation
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Maybe it’s not the building. Maybe its you. Urban and apartment life can get stressful sometimes, and that stress can make the loose bathroom doorknob that you called your super about what seems like 100 times still isn’t fixed this is so annoying ugh maybe I just need to get out of here. Ever have a thought like that run through your head? A few days on a beach or in a hotel in a new city can help you recharge and make the little problems at home not seem like such a big deal anymore. In any case, getting away for a while means some issues, like the noisy construction in your building or the broken hot water, will be fixed by the time you get back. And if it’s not, at least you got used to taking freezing cold bucket showers on that canoeing trip you took!
5) Do It Yourself (DIY)
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Sometimes, you just have to roll up your sleeves, get some tools and just fix the thing yourself. Gather up your duct tape, paper clips, and rubber bands, watch a few episodes of MacGyver, and take care of that leaky faucet. No matter how much you feel your managing company owes it to you to make a repair, you can always count on yourself to get something done quickly and efficiently. Just don’t get too overzealous and try fixing your stairwell with a homemade blowtorch and power drill combo.
BONUS TIP: Talk About the Issue on mycoop.
This is the most obvious solution, RIGHT? You log in, send a message to individual neighbors, or post a message for all to see and start a conversation. Then, you are on the same page as everyone else, and no one has to make the same phone call to the super all day long. Plus, you never know when what starts as a conversation about broken basement laundry machines leads to salsa dancing.
