BOSTON (WHDH) - The city of Boston is in the process of shutting down an illegal rooming house that inspectors say was used by flight attendants coming into Logan Airport.
After receiving an anonymous complaint from the fire department about an illegal unit or rooming house on Geneva Street in East Boston, city inspectors found a garage with 20 beds inside, according to the Department of Inspectional Services.
The 19 occupants, who are all believed to be flight attendants, were said to be paying $300 a month to stay in what they referred to as a “crash pad.”
“They live there they sleep there they eat there. So it’s residential, it’s illegal and it’s dangerous,” said inspector John Meaney. “On paper, it’s a garage. They had somebody construct an apartment above the garage, which is illegal. No permits pulled.”
The garage did not have smoke detectors or a second means of exit. A kitchen and four bathrooms were both installed without permits and there was an exposed ceiling and opening in the chimney, according to the inspectors.
“All of which is a serious fire hazard and could create a danger to all occupants,” city officials said in a statement. “It’s unfortunate that we have these types of landlords who are not thinking about the safety of individuals but about how to line their pockets.”
The city has taken control of the property and will coordinate access to the tenants to allow them to retrieve their things.
“What you really had was a death trap. I don’t think any of them knew it,” said Meaney.
The first floor of the garage was being used as a warehouse.
Inspectors say these crash pads are common in East Boston because of how close it is to the airport. But these units have to be legal.
“Wasn’t enough room size. Everything was illegal. You had too many people to a room. Not enough floor space, bathrooms,” Meaney explained.
7NEWS spoke with the man who owns the building. He claims he did register the apartment with the city and that he was only receiving rent from one person through an online portal.
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