Gov. Signs Illegal Hotels Bill
By Alice Robb
A new law will protect New York City tenants and tourists from the dangers of illegal hotels. The bill, sponsored by State Senator Liz Krueger and Assembly Member Richard Gottfried, was signed into law July 23 by Governor David Paterson.
For decades, landlords have exploited ambiguous wording in state and city laws to set up hostels for tourists, renting out small Single Room Occupancy units in apartment buildings to tourists looking for a good deal. Tourists, often drawn in by online ads, don’t always realize until they arrive that their housing is not in a bona fide hotel. Read more
SRO’s Not Hotels
To The Editor:
SRO buildings were never designed to occupy the amount of people that these converted hotels (“Lawmakers Move To Close Hotel Loophole,” July 15) are now housing. If there was ever a fire in my building, “The Belleclaire Hotel,” I’m afraid that there would be many deaths. These landlords are multi-millionaires and full of greed.
Joe Scalla
Upper West Side
Pols Push Gov to Sign Hotel Bill
By Dan Rivoli
Lawmakers and tenants groups urged Gov. David Paterson to sign the illegal hotel bill the Legislature passed. Read more
Lawmakers Move To Close Hotel Law Loophole
By Dan Rivoli
The city may be able to start cracking down on so-called illegal hostels that have flourished on the Upper West Side for decades. Read more
Top Stories of 2009
As 2009 draws to a close, we thought we’d paw through our archives to dig up some of the more interesting stories that we covered during the past 12 months. From swine flu to Lincoln Center renovations and unexpected Hudson River air activity, there was rarely a dull moment in Manhattan, especially on the West Side. Below are our highlights, in no particular order. Read more
Partial Vacate Order for Illegal Hotel
Tourists who booked hotel rooms in an Upper West Side brownstone might have to check in at a more established hotel, following a partial vacate order issued by the Mayor’s Office of Special Enforcement. The building, 262 W. 73rd St., between Broadway and West End Avenue, has both rent-stabilized and rent-controlled apartments. Read more
