It’s a good start especially banning multiple listings, which are a giveaway to illegal rentals, i.e. large apartments rented for less than 30 days but priced on daily basis, thus making big bucks for apartment owners and also appeasing other tenants in apartment houses who complain about heavy turnover of strangers on a daily basis. That said, let’s understand that the hotel industry is behind most of the complaints, and also that the NYC law against renting a whole apartment for less than 30 days has been on the books for a decade but never enforced. So the city has been lax too. Most of the large apartments that were rented for short stays are investment apartments owned by wealthy people or even real estate developers and companies, so don’t feel sorry for them. Now there are people promoting more youth hostels in the city though these would be located in more distant neighborhoods such as Queens or Bronx, not in prime real estate areas.
The use of the term BnB has become a bit misleading since it seems clear that most hosts rent out whole apartments or houses, not guest rooms in the house where they live and serve breakfast, as we do. All the problems I read about on this list are problems that I have never experienced, so they come with the territory, i.e. with whole apartment or house rentals, which involve a lot more work and present potentially complicated and adverse circumstances, none of which apply to us. I don’t provide flowers or wine or candy.I don’t pretend it’s a Laura Ashley furnished English country inn. I offer the same clean attractive simple amenities that we ourselves have, no more and no less. And I have pretty high ratings I might add except for that one bad experience with the guest who lied to AirBnB about our place and to a full refund. If I were AirBnB I wouldnt let people like her even use their listings.
I thought it was quite funny that Airbnb backed off once it was confirmed they wouldn’t be prosecuted. Note that hosts still will be if caught flouting the rules.
Indeed. To quote from the article.
But Airbnb on Friday agreed that it would drop the suit as long as New York City enforces the new law only against hosts and does not fine Airbnb. The settlement takes effect on Monday.
Personally I think that’s a mistake on the part of New York City.
Hilarious… good old Airbnb! Can’t help but wonder if the suit was just an attempt to get themselves off the hook …
Odd, I never thought the city would be fining Airbnb. I always thought the fines would be leveled at the folks advertising their whole apartment listings. I actually know Linda Rosenthal, the State Assembly member who authored of the bill. It was almost like Airbnb didn’t read the bill.
Yes that’s even what the article said : that Airbnb was never the target in the first place .
I don’t see why Airbnb shouldn’t take some of the responsibility.
Perhaps they are taking inspiration from their guests.
does anyone have an attorney they would recommend in NYC - my landlord just sent me a “notice to cure” and I have no idea how to defend against this.
hanks in advance for the help.
Cheers,
It may seem unlikely but change is definitely on the way. More and more companies are entering the competition for short rental space, whether its residential or professional. The New York Times wrote a really good article about the new market here: