Deadly Noyac fire spurs action by Island officials on safety for renters
When two young women perished in a fire at a vacation house in Noyac last August, Shelter Island officials vowed to ensure the health and safety of anyone staying in a short-term rental on the Island.
In the Noyac case, it was reported that an outside kitchen addition to the structure caused the fire in which three other family members were injured, but escaped the blaze. Two sisters, ages 19 and 21, were sleeping in a second floor bedroom and died.
A report from East End Inspection Agency in East Quogue, a home inspection agency, concluded the electrical system was not in compliance with the National Electrical Code and two smoke detectors outside the upstairs bedrooms were inoperable.
The Shelter Island Town Board and Building Department officials are examining the situation to ensure rentals are in compliance with codes, including that they have working smoke detectors.
Town Attorney Stephen Kiely will meet with two Town Board members to form a subcommittee on current housing codes and suggest revisions.
Mr. Kiely suggested the Town Board consider either an inspection of rental premises by a Town official or a report commissioned by a property owner and conducted by a licensed engineer who certifies the house meets code.
The new effort to inspect properties would apply to short-term and long-term rentals, Councilman Jim Colligan said. It’s known there are some Island rentals in both categories that don’t have Town permits. Senior Building Inspector Reed Karen pointed out the town could have liability by issuing permits but failing to prove the rentals had been properly inspected.
Existing code pertaining to rentals has “a lot of fuzzy stuff” that needs to be clarified, Mr. Karen said. Permits to offer rentals should be issued annually, with inspection prior to certification, he added.
He also recommended that a revised housing law should include an updated certificate of occupancy whenever a property is transferred to another owner.
The Town hasn’t fielded any complaints about existing rental properties regarding safety measures, Mr. Karen said. Typical complaints deal with noise — loud music, voices and boisterous partying late into the night.
Under the terms of the code affecting short-term rentals, if a property owner isn’t living in a house containing a rental unit, a person who is on Island must be assigned as a contact who can act on the owner’s behalf in the event of any problem.
