NYC house turned into illegal mini-hotel complete with soda machine — but owner won’t pay $420K in fines
A Queens homeowner is being sued for allegedly transforming his single-family home into an illegal Airbnb-style hotel — complete with numbered rooms, a vending machine, and daily bookings — and then refusing to pay $420,000 in fines issued by the city.
According to a new lawsuit filed by the city, Gurcharan Kaur racked up seven separate $60,000 fines in the fall of 2022 after officials discovered the Kew Gardens property was being used for short-term rentals in violation of local laws. An administrative court found Kaur in violation, but he has yet to pay any portion of the penalties, and the window to appeal the ruling has passed, city officials said.
Kaur’s son contested the charges during a 2023 administrative hearing but failed to present any evidence to refute the violations documented by the Department of Buildings (DOB), according to the lawsuit.
“We will always use every tool in our toolbox to address illegal and dangerous short-term rentals,” a spokesperson for the Mayor’s Office of Special Enforcement said. “That includes using legal measures to ensure fines are paid — not ignored.”
A man at the property, identifying himself as Kaur’s son, told reporters that DOB delays were to blame. “I’ve been trying to get an inspection done since last October, and there’s been no response,” he said. While he didn’t address the Airbnb allegations directly, he expressed confidence that the city would eventually “write off” the fines.
However, city officials countered that there’s no record of Kaur requesting a re-inspection to lift the vacate order, which has been in place for three years.
The property came under scrutiny in October 2022 after a neighbor reported that the home was being used as a hotel, with different guests staying each night. A city inspector who responded found seven furnished rooms with locked doors and number plates, “No Smoking” signs, labeled keys — and even a stocked soda machine.
Four of the rooms were occupied at the time of inspection. One of the guests was reportedly a minor whose mother confirmed over the phone that the rental was through Airbnb. Two other occupants in attic rooms also said they booked their stays on Airbnb. Another claimed to be staying for a month to care for an elderly grandmother.
Although Kaur claimed the home — purchased just two years earlier — was being used only by family and operated as a “guest house,” the inspector found no evidence of familial ties among the renters. One occupant explicitly stated they had no relation to the homeowner. Kaur also insisted the soda machine was “just for show,” but the court found his defense unconvincing.
As a result, the city issued a full vacate order along with $420,000 in fines — which remain unpaid.
Photos shared by the city suggest the Airbnb listings were posted under the name “Nick,” and appeared to comply with neither Local Law 18, which tightened restrictions on short-term rentals in 2022, nor zoning regulations for single-family homes.
Despite the vacate order, a neighbor recently told a reporter that people were still entering the home, although a buildings inspector who visited on Friday could not confirm whether it was being illegally re-occupied.
Earlier this year, the DOB approved a permit allowing Kaur to convert the home into a legal two-family residence, which would help bring the property into compliance. However, city officials stressed that the nearly half-million dollars in fines remain outstanding — and must still be paid, regardless of the permit approval.
A neighbor described the guests as more “annoying” than disruptive, saying they often blocked her driveway, though she added they didn’t cause much noise.
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