Recently, Brookhaven Town Supervisor Dan Panico announced a new initiative to strengthen enforcement against illegal housing, which includes increased fines for rental permit violations aimed at repeat offenders. This initiative seeks to enhance housing safety and compliance throughout the Town of Brookhaven and address the negative impact of illegal rentals on neighborhood quality of life.

“Let me be clear: our goal is code compliance to ensure that Brookhaven remains a place where people live in clean, safe neighborhoods,” Supervisor Panico stated. “We are going to break the slumlord business model, with exponentially higher fines through robust enforcement.”

The announcement was made at a press conference at Brookhaven Town Hall, attended by all six Town Council members, along with Suffolk County Legislators James Mazzarella, Nick Caracappa, and Dominick Thorne, and civic leaders from throughout Brookhaven.

The new fines will include increased penalties for violations of the Neighborhood Preservation Code and Zoning Code, such as operating a rental without a registration permit and failing to obtain required building permits. These measures aim to deter landlords from viewing violations as merely a cost of doing business.

Councilmember Jonathan Kornreich (CD1) emphasized the significance of higher fines. “For too many irresponsible landlords, the relatively low cost of fines has just been part of the cost of doing business. By raising the minimum fine, we hope to deter abusive landlords, protect tenant rights and safety, and improve quality of life in our neighborhoods.”

Councilwoman Jane Bonner (CD2) echoed this stance, noting, “Ensuring the safety and well-being of our residents is a top priority. Stronger enforcement isn’t just about fines; it’s about safe neighborhoods, protecting residents from unsafe conditions, and preserving the integrity of our town.”

Councilman Michael Loguercio (CD4) underscored the safety risks. “Some of these housing violations are major safety issues that can very easily cause fire, injury, or death. By addressing violators, we protect communities and save lives.”

Several County Legislators voiced their commitment to this cooperative effort. Legislator James Mazzarella expressed, “Suffolk County is committed to working with the Town of Brookhaven to address quality of life concerns with substandard housing and code violations. We will be exploring legislation to ensure that those receiving assistance from Suffolk County are living in safe conditions that comply with all local ordinances and codes.” Legislator Nick Caracappa added, “We have to crack down on that, we have to come together to have more local control on what’s going on, these steps that the Town is taking today in increasing these fines is a big step.” Legislator Dominick Thorne also noted, “This is a welcome cooperative effort on the part of the town and county, and I applaud the program to deter our neighbors from breaking the law.”

Community leaders also showed support. Frank Fugarino from the Pattersquash Civic Association stated, “We welcome this effort and commend the Town for this initiative at the Town and County level,” while Kareem Nugdalla from the Coram Civic Association called it “a very good first step to improve the quality of life in Coram.”

Deputy Supervisor and Councilman Neil Foley (CD5) and Councilman Neil Manzella (CD3) both highlighted that the town has streamlined the process for rental compliance. “It’s disheartening to see both first-time and repeat offenders undermining the efforts of responsible property owners,” Manzella said.

Councilwoman Karen Dunne Kesnig (CD6) closed with an outlook on the next steps: “I look forward to the November 19th public hearing, where the Town Board will adopt the resolution to significantly increase fines for these illegal rentals.”

Acting Commissioner of Public Safety David Moran praised the town’s actions, adding, “The raising of these quality-of-life violation fines is a great step in the right direction to protect our residents’ quality of life.”

Supervisor Panico further urged residents to report illegal rentals through the Town’s online platform at brookhavenny.gov/housing. “You’re not going to mess around here in Brookhaven because the good people we represent are our best eyes and ears in our communities, and those are the people we serve. We are grateful to our County partners who are reviewing potential changes at the County level dealing with Department of Social Services (DSS) housing,” he concluded.

For more information, please visit the Town website and brookhavenny.gov/housing.

Credit: Town of Brookhaven