Pin ItSearching for apartments for rent in New York might not be easy but lately tourists have had it easy. There is an increase of illegally renting an apartment in Manhattan as hotel rooms. New York State put in effect on May 1 a law that bars apartment rentals for less than 30 days and prevents building owners from renting a single unit for temporary use. Although these illegal hotels have been found in many parts of Manhattan most of them are located in Chelsea and Hell’s Kitchen. The danger in many of these hotels is the lack of safety for the residents.
With so many people looking for apartments for rent in New York there are many others looking to profit from their own rentals. A state law that went into effect this past May makes it much tougher to rent residential rooms for less than 30 days, a response to online activities in promoting illegal short stays at much cheaper prices than the regular pricey New York hotels. The enforcement is complaint based, and fueled largely by calls to 311. The major reasons why these apartments for rent in New York is a hazard is for one safety and hygienic reasons. In most apartments that are rented illegally you can find numerous people living under one roof. Too many people can cause a fire hazard where all can sleep in close proximity to each other and in case of a fire one cannot maneuver well. Hygienic because most likely you will be sharing the same bathroom.
Last year, the New York State Legislature passed legislation signed into law by then Governor David Paterson that would clarify that Class A multiple dwelling residential buildings may only be used as long-term residential housing, and not as transient, “illegal” hotels. This law, designed to fight the proliferation of illegal hotels, was slated to take effect May 1, 2011. Although the main reason why many seek to take the risk of these illegal hotels rather than a legal hotel is the low cost. Many apartments for rent in New York are becoming increasingly expensive and renters are getting creative.
