Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
Video: NYC Raids Illegal Hotels As New Law Goes Into Effect
By
Christopher Robbins
Published May 16, 2011
Modified May 16, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
Christopher Robbins
Published May 16, 2011
Modified May 16, 2011
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Grab some continental breakfast and wake the Germans in the next bunk: the Mayor's Office of Special Enforcement has begun cracking down on a law that went into effect on May 1 that bars apartment rentals for less than 30 days and prevents building owners from renting a single unit for temporary use.
Fifteen illegal hotels have been shut down in Manhattan and Brooklyn, including the May 3rd raid on the Lafayette International in Bed-Stuy that reportedly had more than 40 people staying in a three-bedroom home. A full vacate order was issued and guests were left to fend for themselves. The mayor's office also released a video over the weekend of one raid:
Given that just this weekend a fire at an illegal boarding house in Brooklyn caused by an the errant use of a hot plate resulted in two deaths, it's probably for the best that hostels with "inadequate sprinkler and fire systems and obstruction of fire escapes" are shut down. Mayor Bloomberg blasted those owners who "put profits above safety," but as one such owner told the Times, "We provide jobs; we collect revenue; we pay our hotel occupant tax…and we bring people to the city." The Mayor's Office of Special Enforcement, rather than the Department of Buildings, handles the enforcement of illegal hotels.
There are still plenty of legally operating hostels available in the city, and developers like Toshi are still trying to work the kinks out of the furnished apartment-hotel model that has never ceased to anger the actual tenants of their buildings. Apartment swapping and couchsurfing are both better alternatives to taking chances in a crowded deathtrap. We'd still like to see this sort of crackdown from the Mayor on that other problem that's the scourge of hotels and apartments alike.
Tagged
bedbugs
Hostel
illegal hotels
mayor bloomberg
michael bloomberg
Toshi
Christopher Robbins
Christopher Robbins is a New York City reporter covering transportation, affordable housing, local politics, and criminal justice. His work has also appeared in New York Magazine, The Village Voice and The New York Times. Chris is a graduate of Patrick Henry High School in Roanoke, Virginia, and enjoys biking to Fort Tilden in the summertime.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
NYC looks to grow involvement in Open Streets as applications open for 2027
The Mamdani administration bolstered funding this year and is asking applicants to suggest infrastructure upgrades.
By
Catalina Gonella
Published Oct 14, 2026 at 12:52 p.m. ET
New Yorkers are paying $300 million for natural gas they don't even use
A new study found that nearly 2% of the city's natural gas is leaking into the air and causing climate pollution.
By
Rosemary Misdary
News
New Yorkers are paying $300 million for natural gas they don't even use
A new study found that nearly 2% of the city's natural gas is leaking into the air and causing climate pollution.
By
Rosemary Misdary
Early Addition: Eric Adams did not convince a Wisconsin town to build a data center
By
James Ramsay
Hit-and-run driver arrested trying to flee to Uzbekistan after deadly crash, NYPD says
By
Brittany Kriegstein
NY measles outbreak more widespread than official count, health officials say
By
Caroline Lewis
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .