Among the apartments she had initially turned down was the top floor of an owner-occupied two-family house, renting for $2,550, on 13th Street.

Prices for investor-owned apartments have fallen considerably more than for owner-occupied houses.

The accessory apartment must be within a single-family owner-occupied house, with its own bath, kitchen, living and sleeping areas, she said.

Investor properties are not eligible, though two- and three-family, owner-occupied houses will qualify.

Keeping owner-occupied two-family houses outside the purview of the law was viewed as having major implications.

The same is true for owner-occupied houses.

"Culture drives housing on Long Island - 78 percent of us live in owner-occupied houses."

"I wanted to live in a neighborhood, among owner-occupied houses."

The housing stock is almost exclusively owner-occupied houses of conventional British design.

Home ownership is the pattern, but upper-floor rentals in owner-occupied, two-family houses can be found.