Excerpt from The Guardian
New rules spark furious debate as city tightens regulation of illegal rentals in attempt to defend housing stock for tenants
New York City's latest plans to crack down on illegal short-term rentals – which could remove as many as 10,000 Airbnb listings later this year – is sparking fierce debates about housing, hotels, the tourist market and residents' rights.
The new rules will hit those New Yorkers who make extra income by hosting – renting out apartments on Airbnb and similar platforms – but flout city laws, while potentially easing the burden on long-suffering city renters.
Hosts are decrying the tightening as overreach by the city authorities, while advocates for tenants and communities are celebrating.
'I feel so guilty': the highs, lows, and hustle of New York housing brokersRead moreWith the new regulations, the city is aiming to enforce regulations around thousands of illegal short-term rentals across the city, according to Christian Klossner, the executive director of New York City mayor's office of special enforcement, which will oversee implementation of the law.
"Regular people have been lured on to the site where it is easy to advertise illegal occupancy without restraint," said Klossner, who pointed to Airbnb's main launching page that recruits hosts based on revenue they could make from entire home occupancy, which is not permitted in the city.
Local Law 18, passed by the city council last year, would now require short-term rentals to be registered with the city.
Legal short-term rentals are any properties where no more than two people are hosted, the host resides on the property, and where guests have access to all parts of the dwelling unit, according to the city.
Under the crackdown, hosts would need to prove that they reside in the rented properties, that the home is up to safety code and other requirements that amount to a stronger enforcement of existing laws relating to multiple dwellings and permanent residencies.
Platforms that advertise short-term rentals, such as Airbnb and Vrbo, would also be required to ensure that all hosts using the app are abiding by city law and are properly registered.
Previously, the city would rely on individual complaints to address issues with short-term rentals or rely on platforms to enforce the regulations themselves.
But under new rules, any hosts in violation could be fined between $1,000 and $5,000.
Tom Cayler, chair of the Coalition Against Illegal Hotels and a member of the West Side Neighborhood Alliance, emphasized that Local Law 18 is about enforcing dwelling requirements that already exist.
"We made no amendments to the law whatsoever. All this registration requires is that platforms and hosts comply to the existing laws," said Cayler.
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