Housing Advocates Call On City To Shut Down Illegal Hotels

Elected officials and housing advocates are calling on the city to shut down hundreds of illegal hotels.

(NY1) -- The group released a report Sunday that says more than 200 residential buildings are illegally operating as hotels by renting out apartments for short-term stays. They say illegal hotels make the existing housing crisis even worse. "When you are illegally taking away those apartments, and converting them into fly-by-night hotels, and not even providing any great services, then that's clearly an issue for this city," said Manhattan Borough President Scott Stringer. The group is calling on the city to increase the penalties for operating illegal hotels and to make zoning changes to clarify where hotels can and cannot operate.