[bbsz]

Well, the last one (hopefully) I was living in and moved from in 2015, was built in 1971 and it's "district cooperative" was mostly unchanged from that time (starting from technical employees, through administrative ones and ending on "executives") and basically was there to just rubber stamp any inspection. It's not like the building was collapsing of course. It had full 10-floors of tenants. But if going by the actual inspection book - it shouldn't.

Gas leaks - check, Fire hazard in the basement - check, Fire hazard through faulty (aluminum) electrical installation - check, Elevator out of order or just simply being scary - check, Often plumbing problems (no hot water for a month? check!)

and the list could go on and on. The last straw for me was when I installed a water filtration and filters basically turned black in a week and clogged. I just moved.

One of the big advantages of those buildings is often the location. Beats living with no public space (parks, playgrounds, walking space etc) and public utilities (like schools, commies, built those with every new district erected) and on the outskirts of the city

[Muromec]

So the real questions then are -- did you have a nest of hobos in the basement or was it colonized by cats? Did the cats lobby you to put huge metal doors with a chain to tip the balance in the war? Were you scared shitless from the look of the basement door before they did?

[M95D]

None of those. The water was waist-deep and the mosquitoes would bleed anyone to death within an hour.

[bbsz]

Oh yeah, all of those. Plus shitload of trash, of all kind, including old engine oil, that fisherman guy's rotten meat on which he grows he's bait, empty bottles (the ones which are non-refundable at the liquor shop)... at some point even I contributed to pushing trash and fire hazard there.

Mentioned above "district cooperative" flatly refused to remove an old asbestos roof from over the balcony and professional removals don't deal with 1x1m asbestos roofing. I removed it myself, standing on a chair on 10th floor balcony with an old grinder as it was permanently attached to the building through the metal frame, because of course it was.

I pushed it into the same basement as no one was interested in picking it up, no matter petitions, asking nicely, asking not so nicely, making threats or wanting to pay.

Oh, the times in the commie blocks :)

[Muromec]

Now that’s a believable first hand commie-block experience. I wonder if mine had asbestos that I just didn’t know about.