Is it legal to rent out garden/basement floor in a one-family townhouse?

Seems counterintuitive but this brochure from the HPD seems to say that it can be legal: https://www1.nyc.gov/assets/hpd/downloads/pdf/PreservationSvcsBrochure_BasementCellar.pdf. Would be grateful if anyone has looked into the issue more thoroughly. Perhaps I’m misunderstanding what HPD is trying to say.

mvidale66

in General Discussion 10 years ago

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boredatwork | 10 years ago

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2nd try.

After reading the pamphlet I agree that it is VERY confusing. From my reading, this is not directed at an owner of a one family house who is seeking to create a second unit, but at a prospective renter. It lays out the terms by which an owner of a building may rent the entire building and the basement to a prospective tenant and what conditions the basement must meet to be rentable. I dont think this contemplates turning a one-family into a two family. By my understanding that is a change of use and requires a change to the C of O.

This is really a Buildings matter, not an HPD matter, so I would not rely on HPD for advice here.

Perhaps an architect or code expert can weigh in.

boredatwork | 10 years ago

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After reading the pamphlet I agree that it is VERY confusing. From my reading, this is not directed at an owner of the one family house, but at a prospective renter. It lays out the terms by which

chemosphere | 10 years ago

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how was I off?

Lurker | 10 years ago

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just to clarify, there’s a Q&A entry in the pamphelt asking about occupying the basement of a single family, and another about renting it (and that one says it must be rented to one amily and not boarders)

Lurker | 10 years ago

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respectfully, chemosphere is off on this one. that pamphlet specifically explains that a single family house is allowed to rent their basement level meeting specific conditions that are different than if the house were a two family. Specifically the ceilings only need to be 7 foot, though you still need more than 50% of the height to be above grade, you need an degrees window or door in the bedroom, have to meet light/air conditions etc. You also can’t rent to more than one party (meaning a single family but not unrelated roommates). This is a renovation we just went through and the plan was approved by DOB.

chemosphere | 10 years ago

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The brochure is unnecessarily confusing. They’re talking about people who want to illegally make a 3rd unit in a 2 unit house. But there are thousands of 2 unit houses with legal garden-level basements, as either part of the lower unit or as the entirety of the lower unit.
Usually (not always), a 2 family with 2 floors, a basement and a cellar, was set up with the rental unit as the top floor, and the owner’s unit was a lower duplex including the basement. Some people have switched these around, and got the required amended certificate of occupancy, so that the owners have an upper duplex instead of a lower one. Some houses were built like this or converted long ago, and have no certificate of occupancy, or one that doesn’t match the usage, and that’s a whole can of worms. C of O is supposed to match the usage and indicate which floors are which unit.
But you’re asking about a one family, right?

mvidale66 | 10 years ago

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That’s what I thought at first too. But then the brochure doesn’t make sense with respect to two family properties. It says you can’t rent out a two family basement because that would turn the property into a three family. From that, I’m inferring that when they speak of renting out the basement, they mean an occupant solely occupying the basement, not just an existing occupant on another floor also occupying the basement.

chemosphere | 10 years ago

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You can rent it out as part of renting out the entire house, all as one unit. You can’t rent it out as a second unit. Must be 50% above ground, etc.