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Legal basement apartments are finally coming to New York City. Last week, the Department of Buildings launched an online application for homeowners who want to modify their basements — and also their backyards, attics and other similar types of spaces — into so-called ancillary dwelling units, or ADUs, that home hunters can rent. It’s part of an ongoing effort to relieve the city’s housing crisis.
Where might we see these new subterranean and otherwise unconventional apartments start to appear? So far, the interest among building owners is not spread evenly throughout the city. And places with the highest interest may run into conflict with local lawmakers who have safety concerns, recalling four years ago, when Hurricane Ida caused flooding that killed 11 people in illegal basement apartments…