Stony Brook house fire leads to 'potential death trap' in illegal rooming house
Town of Brookhaven says they are taking aggressive enforcement action against the owners.
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At least 12 people were living in a Stony Brook house when a fire broke out on July 2. That’s when investigators say they discovered an illegal rooming house full of students.
“This particular home is bursting at the seams with Stony Brook students,” said Brookhaven Town Supervisor Dan Panico. “It was a four-bedroom home that was converted to a 10-bedroom house.”
Residents say there are illegal apartments all over Long Island.
“Long Island is very expensive,” said Angelika Karpienia, of Babylon. “So for that to happen, I’m not surprised. But it is very sad.”
The basement, attic, garage, living room and porch had all allegedly been turned into bedrooms.
Stony Brook University says more than 10,500 students live on campus, and they provide resources to help students find safe, legal housing when choosing to live off campus.
“I’m very sorry for the people who are living in this situation,” said Cynthia Alfonso, of Stony Brook. “If they are students, they need to have a better future.”
The landlords are charged with 30 violations each. One of the defendants had previously been convicted of renting the same house illegally.
“This is a case about greed,” said John Rouse, senior assistant town attorney. “The amount of money involved here is staggering.”
Tenants say they were paying between $750 and $950 each for rent, meaning the landlords were making more than $10,000 a month, according to officials.
“It was a game to bring money from these students into the pockets of the owners,” Panico said. “These kids are being exploited by slumlords, and their lives are being put in danger for the pecuniary gain of people who care about money more than anything else.”
