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A basement apartment is an apartment located below street level, underneath another structure—usually an apartment building, but possibly a house or a business. Rent in basement apartments is usually much lower than it is in above-ground units, due to a number of deficiencies common to basement apartments. The apartments are usually cramped, and tend to be noisy, both from uninsulated building noises and from traffic on the adjacent street.〔David W. Chen, (Be It Ever So Low, the Basement Is Often Home ), ''The New York Times'' (February 25, 2004).〕 They are also particularly vulnerable to burglary, especially those with windows at sidewalk level. In some instances, residential use of below-ground space is illegal, but is done anyway in order for the building owner to generate extra income.〔 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. Basement apartments were the subject of Canadian singer-songwriter Sarah Harmer's hit single "Basement Apartment" in 2000. __NOTOC__ ==Health risks to basement suite tenants== Some health risks to people who live in basements have been noted, for example mold, radon, and risk of injury/death due to fire. It has been suggested that a basement suite is the last type of dwelling a tenant should look for because of the risk of mold. However, due to demand for affordable housing, basement suites are often the only available housing for some low-income families and individuals, for example in Calgary, Canada. Airborne spores can cause mold to grow in damp and unventilated areas, such as basements.〔 Presence of mold can lead to "respiratory symptoms, respiratory infections, allergic rhinitis and asthma",〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Damp and Mould: Health risks, prevention and remedial actions )〕 as well as personal belongings being contaminated by mold.〔 Radon is an odorless gas that has been shown to increase risk of lung cancer. Basement suite tenants are more likely to be injured or die due to a fire in the house. However, many landlords do not follow fire code regulations, and often such regulations are not enforced by governments.〔 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Basement apartment」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
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