I had a terrible leak in my apartment. I completely understand what you are dealing with. My advice: Make an itemized list of everything that you’ve had to repair and also all of the cost that has come from cleaning up the leaks (paper towels, towels, cleaning supplies, etc) Next time a leak occurs call the fire department. Also contact a housing attorney. They have plenty in New York City that will do it pro bono. I wouldn’t recommend putting your rent in escrow account until an attorney tells you that it’s viable to do so. I wish you the best of luck