Newark Basement Apartments

[Lashawn McCauley]

Question for everyone, I have a large size basement in my 3 family in Newark, NJ. The basement has two entry and exits. What are the qualifications to create a basement apartment in Newark NJ? 

[Satha Palani]

There is a legal definition of what a basement is based on the ratio of above grade height to total height. Egress is not the only consideration. As a matter of general principal to city does not allow kitchens and full bathrooms below grade. 

In all honesty, there are 2 ways you can go about this. 

1> off the books conversion of the basement into an apartment. This is what the vast majority of folks end up doing. I bought in the ironbound and almost every multi family units i looked at before buying had an off the books conversion in the basement. Some better than others. I  believe the fashionable term for these apartments is "bonus unit". If going this route please, please do your best to provide adequate ventilation, lighting and HVAC. Some of the units I saw where not fit for occupation IMHO.

2> Legal conversion. This will require permits and almost certainly an application for a variance. The 2 biggest ones will be higher density vs. zoning. Assuming your current zoning is R-3 you are going up a unit. The other big one is parking. Very few older multifamily homes in Newark have off street parking. The city ordinance requires 1 spot per unit. A friend converted a basement in the northside a few years back and the city put him through the ringer for parking. He had to get a study done to show that street parking was adequate to support an additional unit on the street.

Hope this helps. Good luck.