New rules in New York City regarding Airbnbs and short-term rentals will go into effect on Tuesday, with the regulations expected to affect tens of thousands of illegal short-term listings.
Recent legislation strengthens enforcement of existing rules on how short-term rentals are allowed to operate in New York City.
A measure known as Local Ordinance No. 18 was passed in January, requiring short-term rental hosts to register with the city government.
“Registration creates a clear path for hosts who follow old city laws and protects travelers from illegal and unsafe accommodations, while also ending the proliferation of illegal short-term rentals,” said Christian Klausner of the New York City Mayor’s Office of Special Enforcement. A statement to the Guardian.
Klausner’s office oversees implementation of the latest law, and said the city will spend time working with the platforms to use their verification process.
Short-term legal rentals are properties that are not hosted by more than two people. The host must reside in the apartment, and guests must have access to all parts of the home, depending on the city.
As regulations tighten, eligible hosts must demonstrate that they live in the dwelling they rent and that the home complies with municipal safety codes, and follows other regulatory requirements. Hosts who violate the new legislation could face fines from $1,000 to $5,000.
Hosting platforms like Airbnb and Vrbo are also required to ensure that anyone using their platform in New York follows city rules.
There are currently more than 40,000 Airbnb listings in New York, according to data from Inside Airbnb, which tracks listings in US and global cities.
The latest regulations are expected to significantly reduce the number of listings available.
Supporters of the new law have long celebrated tighter regulation of Airbnb in New York and other cities, especially amid New York’s housing shortage.
Those who live near short-term rentals complain that the dwellings cause disruption to communities, including noise, parties and pollution.
Meanwhile, the hosts have rejected the implementation, saying the latest crackdown could hurt families trying to make ends meet by renting out their homes.
In a statement to the Guardian, Airbnb’s director of global policy, Theo Yedinsky, said the latest measure was detrimental to the city’s tourism economy.
“New York City’s new short-term rental rules are a blow to its tourism economy and to the thousands of New Yorkers and small businesses in the outer boroughs who rely on homesharing and tourism money to help make ends meet,” he said.
A number of US cities have severely restricted Airbnbs. The Los Angeles Times reported that the city of Santa Monica, California, has banned apartment rentals for less than 30 days, in addition to implementing other rules intended to regulate short-term residences.
Philadelphia has also restricted short-term rental sites, and removed unlicensed short-term housing from Airbnb and other platforms.