My hand brake in my MINI seems loose. I guess the best way for me to explain it is that, when I'm pulling my hand brake up, it is really loose on the bottom and gets tight near the top. I usually try not to pull up my hang brake without holding down the button so I don't wear down the teeth. But could this looseness be a sign of a brake replacement?

 

How many miles do you have? Have you changed brake pads already?

First check the brake pads for wear on the front and rears.

Then if they are ok then have the hand brake adjusted/tightened.

If the pads are worn down enough then change them and have the hand brake adjusted.

 

If the rear brakes were done improperly at some point, that could be it. It is reccomended that the parking brake is adjusted after servicing the rear. Granted, I got lucky on mine and fell right into the 6-8 clicks before tension is felt. If you feel 6-8 clicks before it gets stiff, than it's good. Any more and something could be off.