Description

I live in this bldg and there are about 70 tenants wich is being used as a DAYS HOTEL. This is a SRO and since 1995 has been transformed into an illegal hotel. There are about 300 hundred illegal hotel rooms being rented on a daily basis. There are several open violations being 4 to stop illegal occupancy, due to zoning and CoO which is disregarded by the landlord. There are violations for lack of appropriate exits in case of fire which is also disregarded by landlord. Landlord attempted to get a Certificate of No-Harassment in 2007 and it was denied, but since then they continue a series of illegalities, which include getting permits submitting fraudulent info, such as denying it's a SRO, saying they are renovating residential units when as a matter of fact they are converting illegally into hotel rooms. There are 2 STOP Work Orders in the bldg, but they continue to convert rooms. I have called DOB for a current conversion of room 210 and amazingly they did not see the renovation happening. They revoked most permits they had but too late because they had finished a long time ago and are renting for almost a year to transient guests. No one is helping us, including Brewer, which discouraged me to fight them, Rosenthal's Office helped me a little but keep trying to convince me the hotel is legal despite the 4 violations from the Mayor's Office. They keep pushing tenants down and treat us like garbage, they have bee successful with 300 of them already. HPD denied the certificate of no-harassment but left us alone in the cold to deal with a retaliation which included putting a bouncer in front of my apartment who claimed to be armed with a knife. Police thought that is okay to have the only security in front of my unit. They have a parking load and unload for a hotel although it's illegal. I have called the new elected official for our street and despite 3 phone calls I have not received any response. This city i allowing this landlord to disobey every tenant protection laws in this city and despite of cracking down in other hotels, they are doing too little or nothing to really stop them.