City building inspectors have a new tack when it comes to cracking down on dubious dwellings. Inspectors are now going undercover, posing as potential renters, responding to apartment postings on the website Craigslist, as a way of entering apartments that may be unsafe or illegal.

After entering 62 city apartments, inspectors have issued 33 vacate orders. They found apartments with hazardous conditions that include no fire exits, and poor ventilation systems. More than a third of these apartments were located in Queens. Nearly all of the them received fines ranging from $6,00 to $25,000.

The majority of the apartments inspected were in two-family homes.

Unlike restaurant or hospital inspectors, building inspectors don't have the power to show up and demand access. Owners and tenants have the right to turn inspectors away, and often do, forcing them to seek a judges warrant for entry -- something that only happened 63 times last year.

Buildings Commissioner Robert LiMandri says going undercover allowed his team to enter buildings that tenants and landlords wouldn't normally allow them to inspect. "We're not just going to knock on doors. We're going to do other things and we're going to hold them responsible," LiMandri says.

Below is a video of inspectors entering a building.