Rental permits

Revisions to Riverhead’s rental dwelling code were unanimously approved by the Town Board Tuesday. Here's a rundown of the new regulations.

Speakers on a proposal for new rental housing regulations throughout Riverhead Town were divided during a public hearing Tuesday night.

New rental rules would make it illegal to rent to people that are not “family or the functional equivalent” of a family and limit the number of commercial vehicles renters can park in their driveways. A public hearing is set for Tuesday evening.

The Town of Riverhead has settled two State Supreme Court actions brought against Southampton investors for maintaining illegal, overcrowded residential rental properties and have been “in and out of Justice Court” for multiple town code violations, including renting without permits.Settlement of a third case against the same investors is close to being finalized.

According to town records obtained through a Freedom of Information Law request, the Polish Town property includes four separate structures rented to five residential tenants without town rental permits.

The Riverhead Town Board amended the town's rental dwellings code last week to require all third-floor rental units have increased safety measures, including a second means of egress, sprinklers and interconnected smoke detectors.

Riverhead's proposed rental code amendments include requirements for a second means of egress and sprinklers in homes with third-floor apartments — both of which were lacking in the home where a fatal fire killed five family members trapped in an apartment on the third floor. The proposed code had a public hearing last week.

A proposal to amend the rental housing permit code drew a crowd to a town board public hearing Tuesday night, where more than two dozen speakers objected to the revisions, which they said would discriminate against immigrants, low-income workers, the disabled, and other people who depend on shared housing.

Riverhead Town’s proposed rental code revisions has drawn opposition from housing and civil rights advocates, who argue that the proposal is discriminatory and violates county, state and federal law.

A public hearing will be held Aug. 17 on a proposed Riverhead Town Code amendment related that takes aim at overcrowded and substandard rental housing in the town.