Changes to Home Rental Law on the Table in Brookhaven

Brookhaven officials on Thursday debated changing the town's home rental law to allow landlords to rent to larger families, according to a report in Newsday.

Some on the town board said the change, which would decrease the minimum square footage requirement per person living in the house, may encourage law-abiding landlords – as opposed to "unscrupulous landlords," one council member said – to invest in blighted neighborhoods.

The change would be limited to single family homes and would exclude accessory apartments, Newsday reported.

Councilman Steve Fiore-Rosenfeld expressed concern that changing the law would open the door for overcrowded student housing, saying, "If it becomes a frat house, how does this help the situation?"

Click here to read the full report from Newsday (subscription required).