Far from eliminating basement apartments, New York is pushing to legalize more, a move that’s become somewhat controversial in the wake of basement-apartment deaths. But, the thinking goes, the realities of the housing market mean that people will live in basements whether they’re legal or not. And some, at least, can be made safer with multiple... See more

Two bills recently passed requiring owners and sellers in New York State to disclose flooding to tenants and buyers. Robert Carroll, the assemblymember who sponsored them, says it’s simply best practice to warn people moving into homes about flooding, especially since heavy rainfalls are now impacting areas no one expected to have issues. (Before... See more

She and her husband mostly managed to avoid serious flooding over the years using Shop-Vacs and other diversion strategies, although once water came pouring through the sidewall from the neighbor’s flooding apartment. There was nothing they could do about that.

Their renter’s insurance didn’t cover natural disasters — only flooding from building malfunctions, such as burst pipes — and the FEMA flood relief they received came to just $250.