The Windowless Room for Rent in Bed-Stuy

One Bed-Stuy family is making some money by renting out rooms in their house. Not an uncommon practice, but the lady of the house recently recounted the faces that have passed through the revolving door of their cheapest room for rent: the windowless bedroom! This gem (pictured) is generally rented out to the early-20s set. Since Craigslist tends to bring out the crazies, let's take a look at a life of living with some C-list tenants.

Cathy, an activist novice punk rocker in her early 20's, believer in the scotch tape method of decorating, consumer of manic panic neon haircolour by the caseload, cook at an activist bookstore/cafe.

Rosemary, age 29 with a passion for African dance, cooking and strong perfume. An often unemployed photographer/waitress.

Paul, 29, was a college professor of gender and race studies. Supposedly had many female fans in his classes, so much so they put him on a fan website of teachers, a fact he seemed rather proud of.

Ralph, a red-headed eternally cheerful world traveller in his early thirties, was getting his teaching certificate. He was so clean cut and friendly and happy in the windowless room in the heat of summer that Christopher thought at one point that maybe he was an FBI agent.

All seemingly respectable roomies, but did you know it is actually illegal to have a bedroom without a window to the exterior? It's part of the Light and Air regulations in the New York City Building Code (PDF). Given it's New York and people are happy to put their hard-earned cash towards a space that in any other state would be considered a walk-in closet, this seems to be common practice. As such, the law is likely difficult to regulate, but we wonder if any families like the above have ever been busted for such a thing. We know that Corcoran and Cynthia Rowley were recently sued over a similar issue after selling what was a one-bedroom condo as a three-bedroom condo (two of the rooms only had lot-line windows and the buyers felt duped).

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By Jen Carlson in Arts & Entertainment on January 21, 2008 9:43 AM

Comments [rss]

azzh01

BTW, that PDF you posted is only for gov't sponsored housing - not a law.

ern

Since it's illegal to rent out a bed room without windows ... is that the sound of former 475-Kent'ers knocking at the door?

ed_Extinct

*one-bedroom condo as a three-bedroom condo*

duped? no, you're an f-ing idiot.

JRod5417

I have a windowless bedroom and I do believe that bedrooms are required to have a window to be categorized as thus. Therefore, I can't sell my apartment as a one bedroom. I would have to call it a large studio with an office/living/play area.

TJ

The document you link to that you indicate requires a bedroom to have window applies to section 8 units only - not to all apartments.

Jen Chung

@2 - we're actually working on that story right now.

matty

I can't imagine it's as large a phenomenon for hipsters as it is for illegal immigrants - which is an actual problem if you include small children into the mix. This isn't 1920's LES anymore - no matter how cool and ironic it is to think that it is.

Not James Frey

Nivek: you are VERY clever with that wit of yours.

Anyhow - think about it this way. This law requiring natural light and ventilation in habitable rooms was passed because in the olden days, landlords could get away with subdividing apartments as many times as they wanted for the sake of cramming as many people into one tenement apartment as possible. Fine for slumlords, bad for te health and safety of tenants.

And imagine this: fire breaks out. Living in a windowless room gives you one less point of egress to get you to safety. Nivek - this situation is more common in New York City than you think. Hope you never personally experience it.

bornbrednewyorker

Wow you're really getting bad at this Jen. An entire building of hipsters was forced out of their apartments in Williamsburg last night and you're posting this nonsense? On the news they even showed hipsters in truckers caps. It was so ironic!

http://www.nypost.com/seven/01212008/news/regionalnews/matzo_bawl_at_building_858909.htm