NYC short-term rental restrictions go into effect, threatening thousands of Airbnb listings
Eden Villalovas
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New regulations requiring hosts to register their property with New York City in order to provide short-term leases went into effect on Tuesday after a lengthy battle between Airbnb and the city.
A new law, pushed by the city in 2021, aimed to block illegal short-term rentals by requiring hosts to register with the Mayor’s Office of Special Enforcement. Rentals less than 30 days will be affected, threatening listings on platforms like Vrbo and Airbnb. Short-term rental hosts sued the city to prevent the regulations under Local Law 18 from taking place. The New York Supreme Court delayed the provisions to start Sept. 5 but dismissed the lawsuit in early August.
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Airbnb has called the rules a “de facto ban” on short-term rentals and said it will damage the city’s tourism economy. New York City has more than 40,000 Airbnb listings, and Airbnb claims the law will remove thousands of listings from the platforms. Airbnb has also said the law will affect more than 80,000 guests who have booked stays starting on or after Sept. 5.
“The city is sending a clear message to millions of potential visitors who will now have fewer accommodation options when they visit New York City: you are not welcome,” Theo Yedinsky, the global policy director for Airbnb, said in a statement sent to the Washington Examiner last month.
City officials claimed that in 2022, as many as 10,000 short-term rentals listed on Airbnb were illegal, amounting to $85 million in net revenue, but the company has disputed the figures.
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New York City also included a change to how many guests can board at a time, asserting no more than two guests are allowed to stay at a time and proposed a fine of $5,000 if violated. The company pushed back on the regulation and was joined by groups such as Restore Homeowner Autonomy and Rights to call for new regulations.
“We had no voice in the creation of this law, but we need our lawmakers to hear our voices now,” Jean L., a RHOAR member and organizer, said in a statement sent to the Washington Examiner. “Simply put, homes will be lost, creating yet another housing crisis in this City without immediate action.”