Airbnb restricts new bookings in NYC due to new rental rules.
New Regulations in New York City Impact Airbnb Reservations
Home-sharing giant Airbnb has announced that it is no longer accepting certain reservations in New York City due to the implementation of new regulations on short-term rentals. These regulations aim to bring an end to the practice of landlords and residents renting out their apartments to tourists and short-stay visitors.
Under the new rules, rentals shorter than 30 days are only permitted if hosts register with the city. Additionally, hosts must be physically present in the home during the rental period and are limited to accommodating no more than two guests at a time. This effectively excludes families from utilizing these short-term rental options.
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Popular platforms like Airbnb and VRBO are now prohibited from processing rentals for unregistered hosts. However, as of now, only a small fraction of the applications received by the city have been approved, causing a significant disruption in the short-term rental market.
Advocates for these regulations argue that they are necessary to prevent residential apartments from being used as makeshift hotels. Murray Cox of Inside Airbnb, a housing advocacy group, emphasizes that residential spaces should be reserved for residential purposes.
Airbnb has challenged these rules in court, claiming that they effectively amount to a ban and will negatively impact visitors seeking affordable accommodations. Nevertheless, since August 21, the company has ceased accepting new short-term reservations from hosts who have not provided a city registration number or proof of registration in progress. Once the city’s verification system is fully operational, no short-term listings will be allowed on Airbnb without a registration number.
Some hosts of smaller homes feel unfairly targeted, as they are being grouped together with larger apartment buildings. Krystal Payne, a resident of a two-family home in Brooklyn, laments that elected officials have let them down, as she relied on renting out one of her apartments to help cover her mortgage.
These regulations were initially adopted by the city in January of the previous year but faced legal challenges until recently. While online rental platforms have provided more options for travelers and financial opportunities for homeowners, they have also raised concerns about the scarcity of housing in residential neighborhoods being taken over by tourists.
Tenants have complained about buildings feeling like hotels, with strangers in the hallways and occasional parties in rented units. Investors have capitalized on this market by purchasing units in condominium buildings or entire townhouses, profiting from nightly rentals that are prohibited by law.
Registration is seen as a way to ensure compliance with the city’s laws, protect travelers from illegal and unsafe accommodations, and put an end to the proliferation of unregulated short-term rentals.
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