City Officials Resort To Good, Old Fashioned Busting Down The Doors
It seems affordable housing is being threatened by more than [just new owners looking to oust old tenants]. Yesterday, the Imperial Court, a hotel on the Upper West Side, was stormed (thats right, as in storm the castle!) by about 60 angry locals, including elected officials, housing advocates and tenants from around the city. You see [landlords have been known to rent out SROs (single room occupancy) and rent stabilized units to tourists on a daily instead of monthly basis,](http://www.nysun.com/article/48449) because tourists will pay anything.
The NY Sun reports: State Senator Liz Krueger said the city has been limited in its ability to effectively deal with the proliferation of illegal hotels across Manhattan because the financial penalties against offending landlords are too low.
Council Member Gale Brewer said illegal hotel operators pay a single financial penalty usually about $800. The fine, set by the City Council, pales in comparison with potential revenue.
So these officials are pursuing legislation that would give the city more authority to investigate and punish the operators of these illegal hotels. But in the meantime, storming is great fun.