Illegal Rentals in Levittown Not Fair To Honest Struggling Homeowners, Your Thoughts (real estate market, apartments)

[Jrnyescpe]

Wow.. this isn't fair.. homeowners renting these homes that clearly are single family or mother/daughter homes.

This is not right.. right online, no shame, these real estate places are showing partial homes as apartments, in fact, one homeowner I read about is renting just a bedroom. It has to stop here and it has to stop now.. us homeowners are paying taxes and trying to get by with a tough mortgage payment and not break the law while these other homeowners collect rent illegally. What should happen is that the the owner of these homes & the real estate that represents them should be subject to a stiff fine.

This has to stop here and now.. if this is going to happen then I as well as friends down my block., most of which feel the same way are going to rent our single family homes as well. I don't care about the homeowners not covering renters if no one is going to do anything about these people..

I know many real estates are pushing these rentals and their probably still up on their websites, I saw a few from each realtor. All were asking for is the same fair treatment & legal authorities should get involved.. now

[Kbinspections]

You are 100% percent correct and I can tell you, in several towns its much worse that you or anyone thinks!

Towns don't seem to care and are not willing to do anything about it.

Neighbors don't complain because they are worried about the rentees and/or they have CO issues themselves.

Its very sad.

[kicksave]

Originally Posted by Jrnyescpe

Wow.. this isn't fair.. homeowners renting these homes that clearly are single family or mother/daughter homes.

This is not right.. right online, no shame, these real estate places are showing partial homes as apartments, in fact, one homeowner I read about is renting just a bedroom. It has to stop here and it has to stop now.. us homeowners are paying taxes and trying to get by with a tough mortgage payment and not break the law while these other homeowners collect rent illegally. What should happen is that the the owner of these homes & the real estate that represents them should be subject to a stiff fine.

This has to stop here and now.. if this is going to happen then I as well as friends down my block., most of which feel the same way are going to rent our single family homes as well. I don't care about the homeowners not covering renters if no one is going to do anything about these people..

I know many real estates are pushing these rentals and their probably still up on their websites, I saw a few from each realtor. All were asking for is the same fair treatment & legal authorities should get involved.. now

I think its illegal for a realtor to rent an "illegal" apartment. He/She may lose their license. Not many out their would risk that for a months rent commision!

[rocafeller05]

This has been an on going issue for years now. Also a major reason why taxes are what they are. And its not going to get any better. Just think what would happen if every legal apartment on LI was shut down. Where would all those renters go?

[ClarkStreetKid]

If you do away with the illegal housing how will that effect the Islander's living in them? What is option B for living accommodations if option A disappears?

I don't like illegal apartments but they are there because of the demand for them. It was that way even back in the 70's and 80's.

[rocafeller05]

Absolutely. Could you imagine the down fall of the LI real estate market if the illegel apartments were closed. It would make this forclosure wave look like a joke. There are many, many people who need that rental to keep there own home.

Originally Posted by ClarkStreetKid

If you do away with the illegal housing how will that effect the Islander's living in them? What is option B for living accommodations if option A disappears?

I don't like illegal apartments but they are there because of the demand for them. It was that way even back in the 70's and 80's.

[OhBeeHave]

Originally Posted by rocafeller05

Absolutely. Could you imagine the down fall of the LI real estate market if the illegel apartments were closed. It would make this forclosure wave look like a joke. There are many, many people who need that rental to keep there own home.

Unfortunately too many people were given mortgages for homes they could not afford without the additional income supplied from an illegal rental.

[rocafeller05]

True. But what about all the people that have bought homes and their salaries have not matched inflation? Or one of the working family members has a hard ship or injury? I know of some people who bought 10 years ago and now cannot afford their home.

Originally Posted by OhBeeHave

Unfortunately too many people were given mortgages for homes they could not afford without the additional income supplied from an illegal rental.

[OhBeeHave]

Originally Posted by rocafeller05

True. But what about all the people that have bought homes and their salaries have not matched inflation? Or one of the working family members has a hard ship or injury? I know of some people who bought 10 years ago and now cannot afford their home.

That's why I prefaced the word 'people' with 'too many'...it leaves wiggle room to allow for people whose cirumstances you've listed.

Salaries might not always match inflation (I understand that - no raise here in 3 years.) If a person buys a home using an ARM and knows that their salary is variable, or that the company might not be giving out raises or bonuses that year, isn't that a bit foolhearty? I have complete sympathy for the people who have had economic setbacks -- loss of job, loss of primary wage earner, disability, health crisis, etc.

But they are putting in illegal apartments -- which is what the OP was about.

If they were building legal, permitted apartments to code, no one could complain about it. Let's admit that there are a fair number of people out there who are doing it because they overextended themselves and they are not doing it through the proper legal channels. I am not looking to take away affordable housing alternatives, but I would like to see people who are converting their homes into illegal 2 families pay accordingly as opposed to spreading their additional costs onto the remaining, law-abiding tax payers.

The OP was about illegal rentals in Levittown and their impact on homeowners who are trying to do the right thing. The rental homes have increased cars, cause increased traffic on the street, generate more trash, bring in transient tenants who have no interest in the community or improving it. There is a loss of stability that people seek when buying an area of single family homes ends up with an increasing number of illegal apartments.

Look at Craigs List and Freecycle for the number of people scrounging for kitchen cabs, appliances, bathroom fixtures, building materials. The requests have increased with frequency as the economy has taken a downturn.

We need affordable housing, rentals and such, but not at the expense of Joe Homeowner who is trying to do things the right way, despite his neighbors breaking the law.

[Kbinspections]

I'm with you Ohbeehave, we all have our own problems but if I would flip out if there were illegal apartments on my block. Its a slippery slope, and would bring down the value of my home.

I agree its not an easy problem but it needs to be addressed.

Not to mention that basement apartments is a huge fire and safety issue for the tennants.