NYC Illegal Basement Fines Are you renting an illegal basement to tenants in New York City or thinking about converting your unused basement space into apartments? If you are, you should take care to ensure the space is legal and in compliance with the NYC Department of Buildings. Otherwise, you could be subjected to NYC illegal basement fines.
NYC Illegal Basement Fines and Penalties
According to an article by ABC 7, there are 50,000 illegal basement apartments in NYC, and each of those apartments is subject to fines and penalties if they are discovered by NYC building inspectors. Of course, unless you’re scheduled for an inspection due to upgrades or renovation work, inspectors don’t typically arrive randomly. Instead, they are usually called by someone who’s noticed an illegal basement apartment or by tenants or visitors that have noticed illegal and hazardous situations in the apartment.
It’s important to note that when an inspector finds an occupied illegal basement apartment, the tenant is often told to vacate the premises immediately. Of course, this means that the landlord is not going to receive the rent money, but there are more costs than just losing income. The landlord could be fined by the NYC Department of Buildings, and they can also be billed for the relocation expenses of the tenants. NYC illegal basement fines and penalties can result in thousands of dollars in out-of-pocket expenses, not counting the lost income. Therefore, it is best to make sure that your basement apartment meets all the applicable building codes.
NYC Department of Buildings Plumbing Violations
Basement apartments can be deemed illegal for many reasons, including low ceilings, not enough windows or exterior doors, poor or nonexistent ventilation and because it’s a cellar instead of a basement. However, the most common reason basement apartments are deemed illegal is for a NYC Department of Buildings plumbing violation. Plumbing violations occur due to unpermitted work and having fixtures where fixtures are not allowed. For example, you could have a bathtub in an area where only a shower is legally allowed. The good news is that you can get plumbing violations corrected so that you can bring your basement up to the current building codes.
Removing NYC Department of Buildings Plumbing Violations and Avoiding Excessive NYC Illegal Basement Fines with John Farr
If you’ve recently received a notice for a plumbing violation or been hit with NYC illegal basement fines for plumbing violations, give John Farr a call. He’s been remedying plumbing violations in illegal basements for more than 30 years. He can read your violation notice, inspect the plumbing violation, recommend a course of action and complete the repairs. This includes getting permits for unpermitted work and new plumbing work that must be performed in order to get your basement apartment up to code. He can even work with other contractors, like architects and builders to help ensure all the work is completed in a timely manner.
For assistance with your ECB/OATH violations, illegal basement violations, gas company violations, gas boiler violations, or any plumbing building violations in NYC, call John Farr at 917-324-2535.
