It is strictly local, as I said before. A friend lived in a converted warehouse in the SOHO neighborhood of Manhattan, but to do so legally, they had to argue that his wife was an artist. She was kind of building dolls, but had a separate place for that, so her case was pretty thin. The one thing a homeowner or occupant can`t do is move into a designated commercial property and use it as a home. If a person is caught with illegal residence, they face serious legal and financial consequences – they may be fined or evicted, for example, or they may be forced to legalize the building by obtaining the appropriate permits at their own (not negligible) expense. If you are caught with an illegal apartment in a commercial property you own, you will likely be fined and will have to either remove the unit or legalize it by obtaining the appropriate permits. However, in the event of a fire, flood, or any other dangerous situation, you can expect your insurance company to refuse coverage, and a death in any of these situations could result in civil or criminal charges. I keep a low profile. I`m sure some people in the nearby units suspect that I live there as they see that I come to work every morning at 7:30 am, but so far no complaints after more than a year.
They might actually be happy, because I would be there to call the police if I saw someone break into one of the units. For those of you who play with the idea of living in a rented commercial space, expect to encounter various obstacles. Even if you live in an area where zoning laws are quite loose, chances are your landlord has their own rules that you agree to when you sign the lease. Overall, this makes life insidious in your rented office or studio not a good idea. Let`s start with the legal definition of commercial. In general, commercial real estate is defined as real estate for businesses. Specifically, it is land or real estate with which you can generate income. Well, if you want to buy a commercial property to live in, there`s no reason why you can`t equip it with a kitchen and bathroom with a shower. Many places have these amenities for employees anyway. So you can apply for a permit and build it without any problems (as long as the construction department does not suspect that you live there and sends someone for examination).
Well, again, it depends a lot on where you live and your specific situation. It`s best to talk to a lawyer or real estate expert, but you can usually expect it. “Is it legal” depends on your national and local code and the building itself. In addition to the locality of zoning laws, it is my understanding that it is sometimes legal to live in a commercial or industrial area, but not to convert it into housing. That is, when you rent, you are not doing anything illegal, but your landlord is. No idea what that means in terms of eviction. So it`s a mixed message: 1. Yes, you can, as long as someone hasn`t done it illegally. But 2. It is very likely that someone did. Whether alone, as a family or as a couple, when it comes to deciding where to live, it`s a good idea to do as much research as possible.
Commercial real estate, if it goes to residential status, can be a good option, but it takes a lot of paperwork and running to get permits and permits. If the property experiences a fire, flood or other significant event, it is likely that the insurance company will refuse coverage. If someone is injured in the illegal building, the owner could face civil or criminal prosecution. Zoning classifies all land and buildings in a municipality for a specific type of use, including residential, commercial, agricultural, industrial, and combined or “mixed” use properties that have two or more designations. A residential/work unit would generally be zoned for mixed use. If a residential/functional property is really your goal, it`s helpful to understand what might be in your way.