ongoing fire hazard/ongoing construction

[Dave Ostrofski]

I'm in upstate NY.  I moved into my existing 2 bdrm/1 bath place 11 years ago.  It's in an old wooden school house and has about 12 units.  The first week I told my landlord that the kitchen ceiling light fluttered, flickered, stayed off, suddenly turned on, etc.   He said he'd be by to look at it and didn't come by.  I've been reminding him for years, with no results, and had pretty much given up, but still try every once in a while.  It's become an ongoing joke of sorts.  A couple years ago he raised the rents due to his insurance co. raising his rates because it was an old wooden structure and a fire hazard.  We get occasional reminders from him about not overloading the circuits by over using power strips - which is surely done in order to accommodate for the pathetic lack of available outlets.  I take these reminders as opportunities to remind him about the potential fire hazard in my kitchen ceiling.  A couple years ago he actually said "all you have to do is ask".  I said I'd been asking for years.  He did nothing.  Anyhow, this past June there was a fire in the bathroom ceiling of the apt. next to mine.  The FD came in, smashed everyones doors in, and sprayed 800 gallons of water up into her ceiling, which surprisingly only mildly affected mine.  My 2nd bedroom only got a bunch of stains in the ceiling, and I was grateful it wasn't worse.  The girl next to me had to move into a hotel.  She's still there. The company my landlord hired ended up taking down the ceiling in the 2nd bedroom, and that was the last I've seen of them.  Due to covid they have no helpers and too much work.  I heard the owner complaining about it a bunch, and thought that he probably shouldn't have started job that he can't finish - but he did, and I'm sure he got paid by the ins. co. for that.  In the meantime, the contents of my 2nd bedroom, where my daughters sleep when they visit, where my studio is, and where I store many things are now in my kitchen eating area.  My kitchen table is in my living room covered with desk and studio items.  There's no eating at it, 'cause it's always covered, 'cause I'm always working, and even if I cleaned it off there'd be no room for more than one chair based on how it needs to be situated.  So, I've been eating all my meals on the couch, which I hate; my daughters don't come over, as there's no place to eat or sleep, and there's stuff all over the place.  In late July he came in and insulated the ceiling.  The end of September he sheet rocked it. I asked him about when It's going to be mudded, taped, and painted.  All he said is he's going as fast as he can.  He's not.  I the meantime, every one in my life is telling me that he shouldn't be getting rent.  I disagree with that. I believe he should be getting some rent.  A couple weeks ago, just before the first of Oct.  I told him that "there would be a significant reduction in rent until my place can get put back together".  He started complaining that I wasn't negotiating with him.  I said "are you kidding me?"  My life has been turned upside down for 3 months, and you should have approached me about a reduction as soon as you knew the job would be crawling along, and that neither I or any tenant should have to shoulder this ongoing nonsense."  He then had the audacity to say that he's done everything I've ever asked him to do, which presented me a knee-slapping opportunity to launch into my kitchen light tirade, and a few other items that aren't as pressing, but still ridiculous.  Anyhow, I walked away, got in my car, and went to the store.  When I got back my kitchen door was wide open, he was on a step ladder, goofing with the wrong fixture. I corrected him, and he ultimately was unable to figure out what the problem was.  So, he called his electrician who gave him a couple ideas, and he said he'd be back the next day, which he was.  He took down the fixture and that was that.  He called and said the electrician would be by Tuesday. I dropped off a check over the weekend minus about 30%, which he hasn't cashed yet, and hasn't done a thing or communicated a thing about any work being done.  He must have cancelled the electrician. I need to get out, and am actively looking for a new place.  I'm just putting this out there to see what anyone might have to say about it.  I imagine neither of us have handled this as well as can be, and if and where I'm in the wrong, I'd like to hear how.  I absolutely scoffed at the idea of "negotiating", but offered to hear what he thought that would look like, and gave him 3 days to come up with something before he got his reduced check.  He sheet rocked the ceiling, as previously planned, but my place is still under construction, and will continue to be.  He basically got about no notice of a rent reduction from me, out of my sheer frustration. I'd had enough, and felt that this would be one potential way to motivate him, but it just pissed him off, and he's butt hurt that I hollered at him.  However, that actually motivated him to begin to address the light fixture, so, that was one good thing, I suppose.  

Any thoughts would be welcome.  Thanks.