SRO fined over $100K for short-term rentals

Ron Edelstein, owner of the Imperial Court Hotel on the Upper West Side, has been hit with over $100,000 in fines related to rentals at the building with terms shorter than 30 days.

Mayor Bill de Blasio announced $65,000 in new fines against the landlord this week, on top of $53,000 in fines issued previously.

“Imperial Court is one of the most egregious illegal hotel operators in New York City,” the mayor said, according to Crain’s.

It’s illegal to rent out rooms in the state of New York for less than 30 days unless the owner or long-term resident is present. The mayor’s Office of Special Enforcement, which polices short-term rentals in the city, found that 99 of the Imperial Court’s 227 rooms had been rented illegally.

Edelstein had sought an exemption from the rule, citing his property’s status as a single-room occupancy hotel, but a court ruled that didn’t matter. Charles Chehebar, Edelstein’s attorney, said at the time he planned to appeal the ruling.

The hotel, located at 307 West 79th Street, is one of the last of a dying breed. No SROs have been built in New York since 1955. [Crain’s] – Ariel Stulberg