Basement apartment
A basement apartment is an
Homeowners will typically rent out basement apartments to tenants as a way to earn additional income so as to offset living expenses. Owning a home with a basement apartment can be an investment. Tenants will provide income to the home owner, reducing expenses, and equity will grow as the value of the property increases.[2]
Health risks to tenants
Some health risks to people who live in basements have been noted, for example
Airborne spores can cause mold to grow in damp and unventilated areas, such as basements.[3] Presence of mold can lead to "respiratory symptoms, respiratory infections, allergic rhinitis and asthma",[5] as well as personal belongings being contaminated by mold.[3]
Basement suite tenants are more likely to be injured or die due to a fire in the house.[6][7] Many landlords do not follow fire code regulations, and often such regulations are not enforced by governments.[citation needed]
During flooding, these apartments are extremely dangerous. When Hurricane Ida passed over the northeast of the United States as an extratropical storm, most of the deaths were caused due to flooding in basement apartments. [8][9]
Notable people
A number of noted artistic achievements have occurred in basement apartments occupied by struggling authors, painters, and musicians.
See also
References
- ^ a b David W. Chen, Be It Ever So Low, the Basement Is Often Home, The New York Times (February 25, 2004).
- ^ "Basement Apartment". Basement Bro. Retrieved 7 Mar 2019.
- ^ a b c "The Tenant's Guide to Mold". Archived from the original on 2013-01-01.
- .
- ^ World Health Organization Europe. "Damp and Mould: Health risks, prevention and remedial actions" (PDF). Retrieved 28 September 2012.
- ^ Apartment Ratings. "4 Safety Tips When Living in Basement Apartments". Health & Safety. Retrieved 28 September 2012.
- ^ CBC News. "1 dead in Edmonton house fire". Retrieved 28 September 2012.
- ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 2021-09-24.
- ^ "New York floods: calls for action after 11 die in basement apartments". the Guardian. 2021-09-04. Retrieved 2021-09-24.
- ^ My Sister Eileen, pg. 197.