Thursday, July 27, 2017

Rockaway hostel vacated


From DNA Info:

The city shut down a "dangerous" illegal hostel run by a controversial operator who advertised the home as an airy getaway close to the beach — which hosted as many as 22 people at a time without proper exits or fire alarms, officials said.

Drifter Inn, at 427 Beach 69th Street, put up to eight people in a room inside the two-family Victorian home, renting bunk beds out at $35 a night on weekdays and $50 on Fridays, Saturdays and Sundays.

The hostel was operated by Laura Jones, who has now been permanently banned from Airbnb, a company spokesman said.

In 2014, Jones tried opening the Hostile Hostel — which caused a stir over bungalow names including the “wife beater” and “gang violence.”

It later closed due to controversy surrounding the room themes, which Jones said was just a joke.

She did not respond to multiple requests for comment.

On July 13, the Department of Buildings and the Mayor’s Office of Special Enforcement ordered a full vacate of the new hostel, saying it was illegally converted from a two-family residence to include seven furnished rooms lacking necessary exits, fire alarms or sprinklers.

9 comments:

Anonymous said...

There are a gazillion illegal hostels operating in the city. Most of them make their $$$ from illegal immigrants but our snowflake of a mayor is afraid to tackle the problem out of fear of losing the crucial Latino vote. Only the media can stop him by continuing to unmask his politics of double standards & hypocrisy.

Anonymous said...

can they come to Maspeth and get rid of all the illegal basement and attic apartments now?

Anonymous said...

Under THIS forever 'crooked-and-corrupt' administration, the entire City of New York is a 'HOSTILE HOSTEL'——and, only getting more hostile, lawless and derelict by the hour!

REMINDER: IMPEACHMENT is not a LEGAL process; it's a political one that can be executed at any time of the day or night, and now more than ever!

A-B-C-D: Anyone But Comrade Bill de Blasio (and by A-B-C-D I mean: ALL for BO 'The Competent' Dietl——the 'ANTI POLITICIAN!'

JQ LLC said...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6B9BQWbzWxA

JQ LLC said...

Wow, give the DOB a bunch of balloons. This douchehag has been breaking the law for 3 years, promoted her hostel/scheme by co-opting, mocking, exploiting and profiting from the town's poverty and lawlessness of the past (and present).

This repulsive woman should have stayed a little longer. Maybe she would experience a bit of the crime she goofs on first hand. The same with that other lout with that bar in Crown Heights with the bullet hole wall. These people deserve any misfortune they will get.

Airbnb is a criminal enterprise. It won't be long when the next high profile bust of one of their hosts gets exposed as a sleaze bag slumlord caught using various apts. for temp lodging. As if hipshits and other assholes using it to throw house parties isn't sleazy enough.

Anonymous said...

Giving a hostel names associated with urban decay is similar to the café in Bed-Stuy that had fake bullet holes. Out-of-town gentrifiers capitalizing on our city's past reputation.

Anonymous said...

THE DOB FINALLY DID SOMETHING RIGHT, NOW THEY HAVE TO DO A MILLION OTHER THINGS RIGHT TO MAKE UP FOR THE LACK OF ENFORCEMENT THROUGHOUT THE YEARS.

Anonymous said...

My guess is that she was so blatant about it, advertising in local papers or was it that finally the DOB did something?

There are plenty more illegal hostels and rooming houses all through out the Rockaways. One down, how many thousands more to go?

Anonymous said...

What about the money she made with out paying the proper NYC, NYS and IRS taxes?

If that's the case, look into the Yemeni mafia in Rockaway who have control of every single deli on the peninsula. Am sure that they are not paying proper taxes.