With a new rule that requires everyone to sign up, NYC is almost done with Airbnb and Vrbo.
On Tuesday, new rules for Airbnb and other short-term rentals in New York City went into effect. These rules are likely to affect tens of thousands of illegal short-term listings.
The new law makes it easier for short-term rentals to follow the rules that are already in place. Local Law 18, which was passed in January, says that hosts of short-term rentals must sign up with the city government.
In a statement to the Guardian, Christian Klossner of the New York City mayor’s office of special enforcement said, “Registration creates a clear path for hosts who follow the city’s long-standing laws. It also protects travellers from illegal and unsafe accommodations and stops the spread of illegal short-term rentals.”
Klossner’s office is in charge of making sure the new rules are followed. It said that the city will spend time working with sites to use its verification process.
Short-term rentals that are legal are homes that host no more than two people. The host must live in the living unit, and guests must be able to go everywhere in the house.
Under the new, stricter rules, qualified hosts must show that they live in the home they are renting out and that the home meets safety codes and other regulations. If hosts don’t follow the new rules, they could be fined between $1,000 and $5,000.
Platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo have to make sure that people who use them in New York follow the rules of the city.
Inside Airbnb, a housing advocacy group that keeps track of listings in US and world cities says that there are more than 40,000 Airbnb listings in New York right now.
Murray Cox, who works for Inside Airbnb, told the Associated Press that flats in New York City should be used by people who live there.
With the new rules, the number of listings is likely to drop by a considerable amount.
Supporters of the new law have been pushing for tighter rules on Airbnb in New York and other cities for a long time, mainly because there aren’t enough places to live in New York. Those living near short-term rentals say that the dwellings bring disruption to local communities, including noise, parties and pollution.
Hosts don’t like the new rules, and they say that the latest crackdown could hurt families who rent out their homes to make ends meet.
Theo Yedinsky, who is in charge of global policy for Airbnb, said that the new rules would hurt the tourism industry in New York.
“The new rules for short-term rentals in New York City are a blow to the city’s tourism industry and to the thousands of New Yorkers and small businesses in the outer boroughs that depend on money from home sharing and tourism,” he said.
Yedinsky told the AP, “The city is sending a clear message to millions of potential visitors who will now have fewer accommodation options when they come to New York City: ‘You are not welcome.'”
In other US towns, Airbnbs are very limited. Santa Monica, California, banned renting apartments for less than 30 days, the Los Angeles Times reported, in addition to adopting other rules to regulate short-term dwellings.
Philadelphia has also put limits on short-term rental sites like Airbnb and others. This means that short-term rentals that aren’t licenced can no longer be found on these sites.
