Dont_mute_me_bro t1_j7k81cu wrote on February 7, 2023 at 11:56 AM

Out in Rockaway there's lots of houses with converted garages. I see them in Forest Hills too. Lots of homes near me could have little casitas on the property that would provide housing, but I suspect that codes and regulations prevent it.

[deleted] t1_j7wtkai wrote on February 9, 2023 at 11:28 PM

Lol don’t worry those converted garages and basements are absolutely rented out to hundreds of thousands of the city’s working class poor. My whole block of townhomes every single basement is rented except mine.

Dont_mute_me_bro t1_j7ytwqt wrote on February 10, 2023 at 11:20 AM

I'm not saying that what you're describing is necessarily bad. However, zoning to allow it- in other words, making the law reflect the reality and not be a guideline- is preferable. The fact is that illegal conversions are often not to code (causing risk of fire, floods, etc.) and can be a danger to emergency workers who think that they know how many people are inside, and think that they know the basic floorpan.

Hopefully you'll agree.

[deleted] t1_j7zghid wrote on February 10, 2023 at 2:45 PM

Of course I agree lol. And that’s precisely why I’m not renting mine out - I don’t need the extra 1.2k and don’t want to be liable for any emergencies that go wrong. The city should just legalize because it’s already happening at such a scale anyways , and not even enforced. It’s the biggest open secret there is in the outer boroughs. But to legalize would be to admit that the city can’t provide adequate housing so that hundreds of thousands need to live like the movie parasite and if it was truly enforced (the ban) all these people would be in the streets. So of course they never will and tragedies like when the hurricane remnants drowned so many basement dwellers will keep happening.

Dont_mute_me_bro t1_j83qzxn wrote on February 11, 2023 at 12:32 PM

I'd like to legally do mine and set up my kid in it. Keep the rent in the family, have an extra set of hands around, and have the community stable by having the young people stay on (where I grew up the young couldn't afford, they moved out and we demographically were replaced).

[deleted] t1_j87f7iu wrote on February 12, 2023 at 4:59 AM

I don’t have kids yet but I’m saving up for a place for them when I do. Each generation should aspire that their children live better and easier than they did. That’s increasingly hard in this ever more expensive world but no reason not to give them a head start. I’m an immigrant so it’s all been an uphill battle for me anyways and we’re built tough. Best of luck to you. Sounds like you also already have a property in this city which puts you ahead of 70% of New Yorkers.