Dominick Ciccarelli on Illegal Housing in NYC

Dominick Ciccarelli on Illegal Housing in NYC In a metropolis like New York, housing is a big problem. The rents are up and rising and it is very difficult to even get a studio apartment on a student’s budget. There are times when you somehow become lucky and end up with an apartment that seems too good to be true.

Dominick Ciccarelli, a licensed general contractor registered with the New York City Department of Buildings says that if your apartment is in a chic neighbourhood and the rent is quite in the budget, then you might be living in a illegal housing apartment.

What is an illegal housing units?

An apartment can be illegal if the space used is in a way beyond what the building permit specifies. This means that if your landlord takes 2 bedroom apartment and partitions them in a way that they become two 1 bedroom apartment without obtaining any permit, then it might be illegal.

Thus, any alteration of an existing building that leads to creation of more housing units without obtaining approval from the NYC Dept of Buildings is an illegal housing.

Red flags There are a few red flags that you must look for in case you are house hunting:  The apartment is in a basement or an attic  No indoor plumbing, bathroom, or cooking area  If the bathroom or kitchen are separated.  No windows  No fire/emergency exit  You operate on one gas or electrical meter with other renters According to the law this what qualifies as a bedroom: There are also laws specifically regarding bedrooms. Whether you are living with roommates or sharing an apartment or even looking for an apartment, you should know what qualifies as a bedroom in New York City:      

Must be 80 square feet in size with no dimension less than 8 feet.

If the apartment has three or more bedrooms, about half bedrooms can have a minimum dimension of 7 feet.

All bedrooms must have 8 foot ceiling height.

If the bedrooms are in basement, they need to have the ceiling height of at least 7 feet.

There should be at least one window that opens to a street, or a yard, garden, or court.

Bedrooms cannot serve as passage to another room.

Remember, before you house hunt, look for any red flags. According to the housing expert Dominick Ciccarelli, a sudden inspection by Department of Buildings (DOB) can lead to eviction. You might even end up paying fine.