The water coming from the tap in my apartment has had a rusty tint and an unpleasant smell for half a year now. My neighbors say it's because of the old pipes in the basement. I need a filter that will actually help, or is this pointless?
A filter will help, but it's not a cure-all - if the problem is in the basement pipes, it'll only solve part of the issue for your apartment. Mechanical filters (regular mesh cartridges) are great at removing rust, and activated charcoal filters get rid of the smell - your best bet is a pitcher or faucet attachment with a combined cartridge, where both layers work together.
The key thing is changing the cartridge regularly, otherwise it'll get clogged and won't do much good. If your water is really brown, first install a mechanical pre-filter on the faucet (for rough filtration), then use a pitcher or attachment - that way the filters will last longer and your water will be cleaner.
Rusty water is primarily mechanical dirt, and filters actually work for that. But here's the thing: if the pipe is already rusting in the basement, the problem will keep coming back because the source isn't fixed. Still, a faucet filter or an under-sink one makes sense.
For your situation, a combined approach would work. First, install a mechanical coarse filtration filter (mesh or polypropylene cartridge) - it catches the rust itself. Then add a carbon cartridge to get rid of the smell. A lot of people just buy ready-made two-stage under-sink systems - they're not expensive and easy to replace.
The only thing is, you'll have to change the cartridges often. With water this dirty, the mechanical filter will clog in a month or two, maybe faster. So factor in the cost of replacements. And check if maybe your neighbors have already worked something out with the building management about the pipes - sometimes they actually do clean or replace them.
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