Island Park cracks down on illegal apartments

Island Park Mayor Jim Ruzicka says that a law designed to crack down on illegal apartments and absentee landlords is making a noticeable difference in the community nearly two years after it was enacted.

Local Law 1 went into effect in January 2008. Under the law, landlords must apply for a permit, register with the village and schedule an inspection of their property to prove that they have not made any illegal conversions.

Since the law has been in effect, the mayor said, 227 applications have been filed with the village. While he estimated that that is only about half of the number of landlords who need to file, the law has brought about other significant improvements, he said. For example, 92 of the applications were submitted from absentee landlords. Of the applications filed thus far, 208 were approved and 19 were pending.

The village has identified 18 illegal apartments since the law was passed. Of those, the mayor said, more than half are now compliant, and the others are in the process of complying. A handful of the illegal apartments were on Long Beach Road, and several others were on Marina Road and Warwick Road.

“We've been able to close down several illegal apartments,” Ruzicka said. “We passed this law to rein in and get a hold on our rental problem.” He noted that many of the conversions were illegal basement apartments or cases in which a single apartment had been subdivided, creating overcrowded, dangerous conditions for firefighters responding to emergencies — and an eyesore for the community.

Ruzicka is urging landlords who have not registered with the village to come forward to file applications. The village has notified and sent summonses to those who have not filed their paperwork. Under the law, filers must pay a $100 fee for a two-year permit and arrange for an inspection. They are also encouraged to send photos of their property.

Those who violate the law face stiff penalties. A first offense can carry a fine of up to $2,000, a second offense, up to $3,000, and a third offense, up to $5,000. Depending on the situation, a violation may also be punishable by up to 15 days in jail.

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