Alanna Schubach
Contributing writer
Contributing editor Alanna Schubach has over a decade of experience as a New York City-based freelance journalist. She has written about real estate for Brick Underground, Mansion Global, and Barron's. She has also contributed features, essays, and op-eds to The Nation, The Washington Post, The Atlantic, and The Village Voice. She won a National Association of Real Estate Editors’ silver award in 2018 for her Ask an Expert column for Brick Underground. She is also a fiction writer and a creative writing teacher, and currently lives in Brooklyn.
Posts by Alanna Schubach:
Ask Sam: I think someone is entering my apartment when I’m not home. What can I do?
October 12, 2021 - 14:30 PM
Worried that your landlord or super is entering your apartment when you're not home? Attorney Sam Himmelstein says your best bet is to install a motion-activated video camera.
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What can I do about a noisy upstairs neighbor who won't cover her floors?
October 11, 2021 - 12:30 PM
Many New Yorkers assume that co-ops have a standard rule that requires 80 percent of the floor area in an apartment to be covered—with a rug or carpet—but this isn't always the case. Floor covering rules can vary from building to building.
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Ask Sam: My rental flooded during Ida. Can I break my lease?
September 22, 2021 - 12:30 PM
Did you experience a flood in your rental? If conditions in your apartment violate the city’s warranty of habitability, you could be legally entitled to break your lease or receive a reduction in your rent, says attorney Sam Himmelstein.
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I'm buying a condo in a new development that doesn't have a CO yet. What are the risks?
September 20, 2021 - 12:30 PM
Lenders will ask to see a building's CO or TCO before issuing a loan. To address this, many developers will line up financing in advance with a preferred lender, which smooths the process for buyers. Buyers can also protect themselves by adding certain clauses to their contracts.
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Does apartment insurance cover water damage caused by rain?
September 13, 2021 - 13:30 PM
Coverage for flooding damage caused by rising water or heavy rain usually requires an additional policy, but if water damage is related to high winds, your apartment insurance claim can be covered.
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Ask Sam: My apartment was advertised as having a washer-dryer but there isn't one. What can I do?
September 8, 2021 - 09:30 AM
What are your options if you rent an apartment that is advertised as having a washer-dryer—but that turns out not to be the case?
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