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I am the Roomate but I also Own the home

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I am the Roomate but I also Own the home

Postby Arthurstone » Thu Mar 10, 2011 8:30 am

I own a Legal 2 Family home in Nassau county and have rented the upper unit to a single male for 7 years now with no rent increases and no lease..The unit has 2 bedrooms ,2 livingrooms 1 kitchen and our agreement 7 years ago was that me & my husband would live in florida for 6 months and NY 5-6 months. My tennant has access to our furnished bedroom and family room but when me or my husband are in NY he does not use our bedroom/livingroom, we just lock the door otherwise he is free to use our space but he usually does not. In 2008 our Village mandated to controll renting by having us fill out an application for rental, am I mandated to list all names living in the units, my name & my Husbands? I consider ny my domicle not Florida and do not take a Florida exemption but I do get the star exemption, am I breaking any laws? The application also asks for proof of our residency, do I show a Florida utility bill, or NY proof? I'm living like a scared animal and am thinking about selling the house because of all this stress? One other item I do have a bar sink in my bedroom area, is this breaking the law and considered having 2 kitchens? I have no stove. My husband is 75 and we are sooo stressed. Thanks for your advise
Stonewalker
Arthurstone
 
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Postby TenantNet » Thu Mar 10, 2011 8:41 am

This is more of a home owner question, not a tenant question. As such, most of your questions we can't answer.

But it's unclear as well. First you say the building is a two-family home. That means two distinct and separate units. Then you say the tenant (and it appears you are the landlord, not a roommate) has use of your space. Are the two spaces connected from the inside? Are they one contiguous space? It's not clear.

But if the situation is more like he has a room in your unit and you allow him use of common areas like the living room and kitchen, then he's a roommate in one living unit. Again, you don't make it clear.

I don't think a bar sink would constitute a second kitchen.
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I am the roomate but I also own the home

Postby Arthurstone » Thu Mar 10, 2011 2:51 pm

I'm sorry I didn't make it clear but the 2 family home is occupied downstairs by a family in Unit 1 and the upstairs that I share with my tennat is one continuous unit. All rooms are connected I just lock our bedroom door when I am there but when I'm not you could leave the bedroom door open and walk from his living room to my bedroom or livingroom. Thanks again for your help.
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Postby TenantNet » Thu Mar 10, 2011 3:05 pm

First, change your user name to something that is not your email address.

Second, your "tennat" is a roommate, not a tenant.
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Information from TenantNet is from experienced non-attorney tenant
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