(DNAINFO)  Amy Zimmer | June 12, 2017 — There was already a hole in the bathroom when Jose Jimenez moved into his Washington Heights apartment more than 20 years ago.

He was promised fixes, but over the years, as his building was bought and sold several times, different landlords ignored the growing water damage, toxic black mold, crumbling walls and mice holes dotting the unit’s walls and floor.

“The black mold — they just paint over it. It comes back again,” said Jimenez, who worries that his 1-year-old daughter could soon be diagnosed with asthma because of the apartment conditions.

Despite strong research linking conditions like mice, cockroaches and mold to asthma, it’s nearly impossible for tenants to force landlords to resolve them because under current regulations, they are rarely classified as the most serious housing violations that are considered to present an immediate threat to tenants’ health, advocates say.

Source: Asthma Triggers Like Roaches, Mice, Mold Could See Better Fixes Under Bill – Washington Heights – DNAinfo New York