New York City has passed one of the strictest laws against short-term rentals in the country but has agreed to delay implementing it until September. The law, known as Local Law 18, would require Airbnb hosts to register for an operating license.
The regulation was passed in January 2022 and imposes fines on any New York hosts without an operating license who allowed renters to stay for less than 30 days. The law was set to go into effect next month, but the city has agreed to push it back until September 5 after Airbnb sued on June 1st in conjunction with three local hosts.
In the lawsuit, the company claims Local Law 18 would implement a “de facto” ban on all short-term rentals in the city. As it stands, the law requires hosts to jump through what the company considers to be unreasonable hoops, requiring them to register with the New York City Mayor’s Office of Special Enforcement (OSE) The suit accuses the city of “implementing its most extreme and oppressive regulatory scheme yet.” Registration requirements include providing personal and private information like income, the number of people unrelated to the host, and informing OSE if a romantic partner moves in or out.
Other restrictions are imposed if the host bypasses the first hurdle, stipulating that there cannot be locks on bedroom doors, and the host cannot rent out the unit while they are on vacation. “OSE will review the applications behind closed doors following a ‘process,’” the suit says, claiming the law will ensure “only a minuscule number of hosts will ever be granted a registration.”
Karen Dunn, Airbnb’s attorney, said at a press conference last week, “It is literally impossible for regular people to comply with the rules.” She added, “These are regulations that experts will tell you no regular person could understand unless they had a history of working in building code engineering.”
In the interim, Airbnb is working to come to an agreement with New York City to ensure that hosts and tourists can continue to benefit from the rental opportunities the company presents. Following the law’s delay, Airbnb said in an email to hosts, “We are happy to report that the summer bookings of guests and Hosts will not be affected,” Gothamist reported.
The email continued, “Our hope is that prior to September 5, the City will accept our invitation to work together to find sensible solutions that allow regular New Yorkers to share their home. If not, please be assured that we will continue to support Hosts and fight to prevent the elimination of the short-term rental market in New York City.”
The delay will give Airbnb time to continue litigating its case against the city, and Dunn said in an emailed statement to Gizmodo, “While we are happy on behalf of guests and hosts whose summer plans and rentals will no longer be ruined by these rules, we hope the city will use the extra time to collaborate with us on a sensible alternative solution that will benefit hosts, tourism, and the local economy.”
New York City has passed one of the strictest laws against short-term rentals in the country but has agreed to delay implementing it until September. The law, known as Local Law 18, would require Airbnb hosts to register for an operating license.
The regulation was passed in January 2022 and imposes fines on any New York hosts without an operating license who allowed renters to stay for less than 30 days. The law was set to go into effect next month, but the city has agreed to push it back until September 5 after Airbnb sued on June 1st in conjunction with three local hosts.
In the lawsuit, the company claims Local Law 18 would implement a “de facto” ban on all short-term rentals in the city. As it stands, the law requires hosts to jump through what the company considers to be unreasonable hoops, requiring them to register with the New York City Mayor’s Office of Special Enforcement (OSE) The suit accuses the city of “implementing its most extreme and oppressive regulatory scheme yet.” Registration requirements include providing personal and private information like income, the number of people unrelated to the host, and informing OSE if a romantic partner moves in or out.
Other restrictions are imposed if the host bypasses the first hurdle, stipulating that there cannot be locks on bedroom doors, and the host cannot rent out the unit while they are on vacation. “OSE will review the applications behind closed doors following a ‘process,’” the suit says, claiming the law will ensure “only a minuscule number of hosts will ever be granted a registration.”
Karen Dunn, Airbnb’s attorney, said at a press conference last week, “It is literally impossible for regular people to comply with the rules.” She added, “These are regulations that experts will tell you no regular person could understand unless they had a history of working in building code engineering.”
In the interim, Airbnb is working to come to an agreement with New York City to ensure that hosts and tourists can continue to benefit from the rental opportunities the company presents. Following the law’s delay, Airbnb said in an email to hosts, “We are happy to report that the summer bookings of guests and Hosts will not be affected,” Gothamist reported.
The email continued, “Our hope is that prior to September 5, the City will accept our invitation to work together to find sensible solutions that allow regular New Yorkers to share their home. If not, please be assured that we will continue to support Hosts and fight to prevent the elimination of the short-term rental market in New York City.”
The delay will give Airbnb time to continue litigating its case against the city, and Dunn said in an emailed statement to Gizmodo, “While we are happy on behalf of guests and hosts whose summer plans and rentals will no longer be ruined by these rules, we hope the city will use the extra time to collaborate with us on a sensible alternative solution that will benefit hosts, tourism, and the local economy.”