New legislation introduced today by the City Council may help those who suffer from asthma by requiring landlords to make buildings more lung-friendly. The council would require owners of 175 buildings to attempt to reduce asthma factors like mold and garbage pileup, or risk liens from the city. Council Speaker Christine Quinn told the Times, "Not every landlord is a good landlord in the city of New York. We need to have stricter laws to deal with those bad apples."
The city will first focus on private buildings, giving landlords three months to make the changes, or doing it themselves and charging the landlords for the work. The legislation would also act as an experiment on successful asthma prevention methods, requiring different landlords to focus on different projects, and comparing the results for effectiveness. Though landlords in the Rent Stabilization Association say that bad conditions aren't always their fault, Quinn said, "If you are a landlord that takes good care of your building, you have nothing to worry about." Any advice on where to find one of those?
