I shoud explain the whole scenary to be understood better. I don't want to be ripped off by this general contractor..

I have been considering The building as a 3 fllat rental with a basement.

The basement in total is as large as the whole building (25 X 125) with 8 ft. ceilings. sectioned off in like storage rooms.

towards the front entrance there is a section that has 1 room with plumbing and piping for a kitchen, one room like a dining room, 1 closet, and one room with all the plumbing for a bathroom. this whole unit is under 800 sq ft.with 8 feet ceillings, 2 windows above ground level. it has only one entrance into that unit.. about 6 ft away from this one entrance is the front entrance to the building, about 12 ft away is another door that is boarded up shut tight. in the end of this basement there is another entrance that leads to an enclosed porch, and then to another door that leads to the back yard of the building.

The general contractor is telling me:
1) if the side door that is shut tight is opened, the front unit could be fixed up and it would be a legal rental unit.

2) if all the small storage rooms are opened up it coulld be converted into a 2 bedroom unit with dining room and living room. it has all the plumbing and piping for a kitchen and a bathroom also..

I have never rented this unit cause I thought it needed two entrances into the front unit..

The genenral contractor said the building is a 4 flat or could easily be a 4 flat with no basement. this basement is considered a first floor because it is not more then 5 ft underground and it has 8 ft. ceilings..

Is this true... please help me I don't want to be ripped off by this contractor i'm 69 years old and have lost alot of money with people fixing my roofs and porches wrong..and by not following city ordinances .

Thank you very much for any and all help I get
God Bless..
Carmen Flores