Yesterday, the Department of Buildings revealed that it conducted an undercover investigation of illegal apartment conversions—the agency's investigators went to Craigslist's rental sections, posed as potential tenants, and found "illegal living conditions in 54 of the 62 rental apartments inspected, including fire safety hazards such as inadequate means of egress, untested gas lines and single-room occupancies with locks on individual rooms." The agency showed a tape of one of those residences and issued ten tips for renters. more ›

Yesterday morning, firefighters responded to a suspicious fire in a two-story house in the West Farms section of the Bronx which left eight people injured, including a 22 -year-old woman and her 2-year-old son who were found unconscious in a basement apartment. Now it turns out the woman was being threatened by a former tenant, who allegedly sent a text message saying the victim "better sleep with one eye open." more ›

About 60 tenants at 8-29 Astoria Boulevard in Queens were evacuated after the city found their building full of safety violations. A tenant had initially complained about bedbugs, but then the Department of Buildings found (report) inadequate sprinkler system, illegal electrical and gas work, illegal plumbing, no fire escapes, and no emergency exits (gas and water were shut off) . WABC 7 spoke to residents who said the landlord for the building--which was zoned only for commercial use--charged $900-1300/month and that they had paid their rents in cash on October 1. The Red Cross is helping residents, but one said to WCBS 2, "I'm nervous because what I can do with my baby?" more ›