Hi r/nyc , we're four NYU Stern students running a short pilot for our class and looking for pilot testers.

Who it's for: NYC renters with a repair that management keeps not fixing: no heat or hot water, leaks, mold, pests, a broken window or lock, plumbing, anything that's dragging on.

What happens:

- You fill out a 5-minute form (address, what needs fixing and when it started, when you told management, your rent so we can estimate what you may be owed, and a photo if you have one).

- We draft timed, written follow-ups to your management. You approve every message before it goes out, and you're copied on everything. You can also choose to send them yourself.

- You get a dated record of the issue and an estimate of the rent abatement you may be owed under NY's warranty of habitability.

- You can pause anytime.

What it isn't: We're not lawyers and this isn't legal advice. The dollar figure is only an estimate. We never file anything with 311, HPD or the courts for you. If the repair still isn't fixed, we show you how to file a 311 complaint yourself. It's free, with no account or login.

Privacy: We only collect what the follow-ups need, never sell it, and delete pilot data when the pilot ends. An AI service reads management's replies (you'll be asked to consent first). Details: https://abate-mu.vercel.app/privacy

If that sounds useful: https://abate-mu.vercel.app/
You can also comment or DM with questions. If neighbors have the same problem, the app has an invite link for them.

Thanks!

Things are really getting out of hand.

We lost our 5-year-old son’s beloved stuffed sloth on Monday, October 26, around 8:20 PM, somewhere along Park Avenue between E 48th and E 52nd Streets, possibly near E 52nd Street.
It’s a small, shaggy brown sloth with a gray face and very long arms and legs (see photos).
This little guy has been our son’s companion for years and means the world to him. We’re hoping someone picked him up or placed him somewhere safe.
If anyone has seen or found him or knows the sanitation workers that service this area, please message me! We would be incredibly grateful to have him back. Please share if you’re in the NYC area! Offering a REWARD!

• Affordable housing projects in 12 community districts will bypass City Council members
• The Fast Track program shortens the approval process from seven months to 90 days

New York has long been one of the most expensive places in the country to rent. In 2024, the city’s median rent was 68% higher than the national median and ate up 39.8% of the average household’s income. 

Last year, New York ranked among the least affordable U.S. cities for people living on one income. And now, New Yorkers have paid more than ever to sign a lease this summer, while the cost of buying a home remained far out of reach.

The median asking rent in the city reached a record high of $3,785 in the third quarter, up $162, or 4.5%, from a year earlier, according to the Realtor.com 2026 Q3 NYC Rental Report released Tuesday. That is the highest level since the site began tracking the data in the second quarter of 2019, and $816, or 27.5%, above where rents stood before the pandemic.

And it’s not just renting: buying a median-priced home cost an estimated 10,737a month in the same period—6,952 more than renting.

“New York City renters are facing a difficult affordability equation: rents are rising, especially for the smaller homes many renters compete for, while the cost of buying remains dramatically higher,” said Danielle Hale, chief economist at Realtor.com. “For renters hoping to save for a down payment, the squeeze is coming from both directions.”

Read more [paywall removed for Redditors]: https://fortune.com/2026/10/27/new-york-city-rents-record-high-3785-month-outpaced-wages/?utm_source=reddit/

A Manhattan grand jury has upgraded the criminal charges against retired NYPD detective Victor Romero — who is accused of fatally shooting a Con Edison worker during a road-rage clash on the George Washington Bridge — from manslaughter to murder, Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg’s office announced Tuesday.

Romero, 62, fatally shot Koran Irvine after the two men nearly collided during a lane change as they entered the bridge around 7:15 p.m. Oct. 20, cops said.

Although NYPD detectives initially charged him with murder, the charge was downgraded to manslaughter by Bragg’s office. Romero to be released Friday after posting $1 million bail.

READ MORE

UPDATE: SHE'S BEEN FOUND!!!

I don't have the details yet, but she's with the NYPD and they're bringing her back to the family, who has spoken to her and confirmed it's her.

Thanks to everyone for amplifying and your kind words. New Yorkers are the best!