The Department of Buildings (DOB) in New York City recently released its enforcement report for December 2024, imposing fines on multiple violative property owners. Among them, a Chinese homeowner, Jin Shen Jiang, in Queens, was fined over $117,000 for illegally converting two-family homes into four single-room occupancy units (SROs). The property, located near Corona Park in Flushing, has been under scrutiny for years due to alleged operation as a “maternity center,” with more than ten complaints filed against it.
According to DOB records, the property received a total of 13 complaints from February 2012 to August 2020 regarding its operation as a “maternity center.” Complaints included renting the entire building to mothers and newborns, continuous traffic of pregnant women believed to be engaging in midwifery services outside the building, utilizing the second floor as a postnatal care center, and postpartum women evacuating after only 30 days.
In August 2015, complaints escalated, stating, “There are eight different families living in the house, I don’t even have the chance to use the bathroom.” Other complaints mentioned the front door being sealed off, with access only through a side door, and the presence of twenty households inside.
A complaint in July 2018 highlighted long-term locking of a secondary exit on the first floor, lack of adequate escape routes on the second and third floors, utilizing the residence as an illegal hostel and short-term rental property with multiple children inside.
In 2019, a complaint alleged the property operated as a “birth house” with staff frequently coming and going, occupying parking spaces without residing there. A complaint on August 30, 2020, mentioned the property being used for short-term rentals, with frequent guests hauling luggage in and out.
In October 2, 2024, DOB conducted a compliance inspection, issuing a “partial vacate order.” Inspectors confirmed illegal alterations on the first floor, adding four separate single rooms (SROs), violating the housing permit and posing various safety hazards such as lack of required escape routes, automatic sprinkler systems, and fire alarm systems, undersized bedrooms, inadequate lighting, and ventilation, resulting in a $117,000 fine.
Another property found in violation was 1505 East 29 Realty in Brooklyn, penalized with a $195,000 fine for converting a single-family unit into eight dwelling units, with an additional seven illegal SROs. Complaints from 2020 revealed the property was used for Airbnb short-term rentals, accommodating at least 25 occupants.
The enforcement report for December also highlighted violations by Dan Ye in Brooklyn, fined $12,500 for improper construction practices, including inadequate protection of the construction site on 46th Street, obstructing exits, and non-compliance with approved plans, with the second-floor floor removed, exposing floor beams, and an unapproved bathroom installed in the basement.
Feng Ye in Queens was fined $10,000 for failing to adhere to construction safety responsibilities, such as insufficient safety training records for on-site workers at 42-50 65th Place. Inspectors observed inadequate site clearance, lack of guardrails, insufficient roof protection, and absence of design drawings at the location.
Furthermore, 3433 Realty LLC in Queens was fined $81,800 for illegal short-term rentals and safety regulation violations. DOB inspectors discovered part of the third floor at 34-33 32nd Street was unlawfully used for short-term transitional stays by multiple guests, leading to a violation notice. Inspectors also issued safety violations for lacking proper escape routes, as well as automatic sprinkler and fire alarm systems required for short-term use.