Latest news with #LocalLaw18
New York Post
13 hours ago
- Business
- New York Post
NYers reveal how they feel about Airbnb in new poll
A majority of New Yorkers don't want to give Airbnb access to the Big Apple's housing market, a new poll says. The survey, paid for by the Airbnb rival Hotel Gaming and Trades Council and obtained by The Post, found that while the home-share-app giant recently funneled $5 million into a super PAC to influence Big Apple elections, 56% of city residents want nothing to do with the short-term-rental system. 3 Home-sharing short-term rental app Airbnb wants to come back to the Big Apple with few restraints, but a majority of New Yorkers say otherwise, a new poll says. Bloomberg via Getty Images 'New Yorkers are not falling for Airbnb's lies,' said Whitney Hu, director of civic engagement and research at Churches United for Fair Housing. 'The vast majority of families are struggling to stay in their homes, and they want politicians who will pass legislation that makes our city more affordable, not less,' she said. 3 A $1 million ad paid for by Airbnb urges New Yorkers to oppose three mayoral candidates who have called for stifling it. Youtube/ Affordable New York Of the residents surveyed in the HTC, 38% said they supported Airbnb in the city, while 6% remained unsure. The numbers appeared to be non-partisan, with 57% of Democrats and 58% of Republicans opposing the short stays. Concerns among the city dwellers centered on the housing crisis — with more than 80% of respondents expressing worry about a diminished regular housing supply with the short-term rentals. Airbnb suffered a major blow in 2023 when the City Council passed Local Law 18 — effectively banning the home-share app involving any apartment where the current tenant or owner wasn't present. Late last year, a bill aiming to revive the app's short-term rental market was introduced and sponsored by a slew of City Council members of varying progressive leanings, including Speaker Adrienne Adams. Since then, Airbnb opened a $5 million super PAC — Affordable New York — in which it donated more than $2.1 million to support the campaigns of 13 candidates for public office, including 11 for city council. The tech giant has also spent $1 million on an opposition ad against mayoral candidates Zohran Mamdani, Brad Lander and Scott Stringer — all of whom are progressive but want heavy restrictions on Airbnb in the city. 3 A major hotel-industry group paid for the poll. SOPA Images/LightRocket via Getty Images Though the ad that aired earlier this month did not endorse any candidates, it promoted the interests of frontrunner candidate former Gov. Andrew Cuomo. The move was a puzzling nod to a candidate who is endorsed by the HTC, which directly opposes and competes with Airbnb. 'As governor, Andrew Cuomo took action against unregulated short-term rentals, and he's promised to continue to stand up for tenants and workers as mayor,' noted HTC Political Director Bhav Tibrewal in a statement to Politico earlier this month. 'If Airbnb thinks it's a flex to publicly light their money on fire, we're happy to not stand in their way on this one,' he said. Airbnb policy chief Michael Blaustein said, 'Regular New Yorkers deserve the same rights as all Americans – renting their home when they're away for short periods. 'A broad coalition of homeowners and small businesses are behind common-sense changes to the city's strict short-term rental rules that will allow New Yorkers to share their home without taking a single unit off the long-term housing market,' he said.
Yahoo
7 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
Editorial: Leave Airbnbs and short-term rentals alone, aldermen. There's no crisis here.
Nobody loves killing Airbnbs more than hoteliers. After New York City moved in 2022 to sharply restrict short-term rentals by enacting something called Local Law 18, hotel rates went through the roof. Last September, it cost an average of $417 to spend the night in Manhattan. And, typically, that's for one small room; however many kids you might have along with you. Although it was passed on the grounds of promoting safety and equity, Local Law 18 ended up making it nearly impossible for a regular person to rent out their Manhattan place on a short-term basis unless they were themselves present in their apartment with the guests. The vast majority of short-term listings quickly vanished, much to chagrin of ordinary working people who had used Airbnb to rent out their homes when they were out of town for work or to help offset their massive residential rent during times of increased demand such as major conventions or sporting events. It also explains why, if you try and get an Airbnb in New York, the host will probably say that they will be at least kinda present, so as to conform with the law. Not that anyone wants that. Airbnbs can indeed be a problem in certain hugely popular destinations. Travel writer Rick Steves has described the situation in some European tourist hubs where local people get priced out of a central city and landlords rent only to tourists. Thus, instead of visiting a vibrant community with local shops and bakeries, tourists are met instead with other tourists and tchotchke stores. And an argument can be made that short-term rentals add to the pressure on longer-term rents by reducing supply, although that is a contested argument in most cities because such rentals also encourage new construction. Short-term rentals also allow visitors to avoid costly hotel rates and have room to spread out. They are rented by people who then walk into local restaurants and businesses and buy stuff or attend live entertainment offerings. Airbnbs tend to draw visitors out of the downtown core and into less affluent neighborhoods, spreading the economic pie beyond the central business district and letting families, especially, save some money and get to know the real heart of a city. In Chicago, for example, there are relatively few hotels outside the center of the city; if you are a jazz fan and want to stay close to the Green Mill, for example, an Airbnb in Uptown would offer you real benefits and you might end up staying longer, or even moving here altogether. We don't see any evidence of Chicago having some massive Airbnb problem; this is a city that needs to expand its tourist base, not suppress it by killing Airbnbs. We know of few buildings that have been taken over by short-term rentals and we note that large buildings can already restrict such rentals on their own, using existing condo regulations, if they so choose. For sure, there's a danger of people holding parties in these places or using them to drink underage. But some people also behave badly in hotel rooms and private residences. Laws are on the books that can be enforced without preventing the rentals in the first place, and we have no problem with a registration procedure that can help police see if a rental is proving to be a repeat problem. Chicago has many protections in place. If 25% of a precinct's registered voters want to ban short-term rentals and sign a petition, they can do so now. So we see no need whatsoever for the over-reaching ordinance championed by Ald. Anthony Napolitano, 41st, and approved by the Committee on License and Consumer Protection that would give aldermen the power to outright ban Airbnbs by aldermanic fiat and then force Airbnb and its competitors to collect signatures to overturn the ban and stay in business. Imagine if that was proposed for restaurants or hotels! In practice, this would be a field day for NIMBY types (or sly hotel owners) who have an alderman's ear (or the means to boost an aldermanic bank account). In practice, it would mean that short-term rentals would likely disappear all over the city, reducing the side hustles of lots of cash-strapped folks, hurting local businesses, reducing city and state tax revenues and meaning that visitors would have no choice but to stuff themselves and their kids into costly hotel rooms instead of being able to stay where most Chicagoans live. City Council should leave this well alone. If and when the city is overwhelmed with tourists, we're happy to revisit our view. But at this cash-strapped juncture for the city of Chicago, Napolitano's power move should be voted down. Submit a letter, of no more than 400 words, to the editor here or email letters@
Chicago Tribune
13-06-2025
- Business
- Chicago Tribune
Editorial: Leave Airbnbs and short-term rentals alone, aldermen. There's no crisis here.
Nobody loves killing Airbnbs more than hoteliers. After New York City moved in 2022 to sharply restrict short-term rentals by enacting something called Local Law 18, hotel rates went through the roof. Last September, it cost an average of $417 to spend the night in Manhattan. And, typically, that's for one small room; however many kids you might have along with you. Although it was passed on the grounds of promoting safety and equity, Local Law 18 ended up making it nearly impossible for a regular person to rent out their Manhattan place on a short-term basis unless they were themselves present in their apartment with the guests. The vast majority of short-term listings quickly vanished, much to chagrin of ordinary working people who had used Airbnb to rent out their homes when they were out of town for work or to help offset their massive residential rent during times of increased demand such as major conventions or sporting events. It also explains why, if you try and get an Airbnb in New York, the host will probably say that they will be at least present, so as to conform with the law. Not that anyone wants that. Airbnbs can indeed be a problem in certain hugely popular destinations. Travel writer Rick Steves has described the situation in some European tourist hubs where local people get priced out of a central city and landlords rent only to tourists. Thus, instead of visiting a vibrant community with local shops and bakeries, tourists are met instead with other tourists and tchotchke stores. And an argument can be made that short-term rentals add to the pressure on longer-term rents by reducing supply, although that is a contested argument in most cities because such rentals also encourage new construction. Short-term rentals also allow visitors to avoid costly hotel rates and have room to spread out. They are rented by people who then walk into local restaurants and businesses and buy stuff or attend live entertainment offerings. Airbnbs tend to draw visitors out of the downtown core and into less affluent neighborhoods, spreading the economic pie beyond the central business district and letting families, especially, save some money and get to know the real heart of a city. In Chicago, for example, there are relatively few hotels outside the center of the city; if you are a jazz fan and want to stay close to the Green Mill, for example, an Airbnb in Uptown would offer you real benefits and you might end up staying longer, or even moving here altogether. We don't see any evidence of Chicago having some massive Airbnb problem; this is a city that needs to its tourist base, not suppress it by killing Airbnbs. We know of few buildings that have been taken over by short-term rentals and we note that large buildings can already restrict such rentals on their own, using existing condo regulations, if they so choose. For sure, there's a danger of people holding parties in these places or using them to drink underage. But some people also behave badly in hotel rooms and private residences. Laws are on the books that can be enforced without preventing the rentals in the first place, and we have no problem with a registration procedure that can help police see if a rental is proving to be a repeat problem. Chicago has many protections in place. If 25% of a precinct's registered voters want to ban short-term rentals and sign a petition, they can do so now. So we see no need whatsoever for the over-reaching ordinance championed by Ald. Anthony Napolitano, 41st, and approved by the Committee on License and Consumer Protection that would give aldermen the power to outright ban Airbnbs by aldermanic fiat and then force Airbnb and its competitors to collect signatures to overturn the ban and stay in business. Imagine if that was proposed for restaurants or hotels! In practice, this would be a field day for NIMBY types (or sly hotel owners) who have an alderman's ear (or the means to boost an aldermanic bank account). In practice, it would mean that short-term rentals would likely disappear all over the city, reducing the side hustles of lots of cash-strapped folks, hurting local businesses, reducing city and state tax revenues and meaning that visitors would have no choice but to stuff themselves and their kids into costly hotel rooms instead of being able to stay where most Chicagoans live. City Council should leave this well alone. If and when the city is overwhelmed with tourists, we're happy to revisit our view. But at this cash-strapped juncture for the city of Chicago, Napolitano's power move should be voted down.
Yahoo
10-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Airbnb is spending $1m on NYC mayoral race hoping it can return to the city with fewer restrictions
Airbnb's super PAC has spent $1 million on a commercial attacking three candidates for New York mayor who do not support short-term rentals in the city. The ad, put out online on Monday, singles out Democrats Zohran Mamdani, Scott Stringer and Brad Lander, accusing them of ignoring 'common sense solutions' to making New York more affordable. 'It's hard out here – to make rent, buy groceries and raise kids. And New Yorkers know, the wrong mayor will just make it worse,' the voiceover states. 'So what about Zohran Mamdani, Scott Stringer and Brad Lander? Their policies will make New York even more expensive. And they oppose common sense solutions that would make our city more affordable. 'So much is hard. But this choice is easy. New Yorkers can't afford a mayor who makes New York more expensive.' The commercial is paid for by Affordable New York – a political action committee associated with Airbnb. The group was the first PAC to start spending on New York City's 2025 primary elections, back in March. An attack on the three candidates means that their rival Democratic candidate and former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, has support from two sides of the city's hospitality industry – having already been backed by the Hotel and Gaming Trades Council. Airbnb has been sidelined in New York City, due to a state law that prohibits rentals for fewer than 30 days while the host is not present. The city doubled down in 2022, with the introduction of Local Law 18. LL18 requires short-term rental hosts to register with the Mayor's Office of Special Enforcement, and prohibits the company, and others, from booking service platforms from processing transactions for unregistered short-term rentals. The law resulted in an over 90 percent drop in Airbnb listings across New York City following its implementation in September 2023, according to the company. It comes as the race for the Democratic primary for New York City mayor – taking place on June 24 – narrows to an almost two-person race between Cuomo and Mamdani. A survey conducted by Data for Progress by a super PAC backing Mamdani found that Cuomo was ahead by only two points, while a poll from Cuomo's camp came back with a 12-point lead. The Democratic candidates faced off in their first televised debate on June 4, with Cuomo coming under repeated attack from his rivals. Cuomo's governorship ended acrimoniously after 10 years with his resignation in 2021, following investigations into allegations of sexual harassment. He has denied any wrongdoing. Mamdani is considered a favorite among progressives in the party, having won the backing of Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez following the debate. "Assemblymember Mamdani has demonstrated a real ability on the ground to put together a coalition of working-class New Yorkers that is strongest to lead the pack. In the final stretch of the race, we need to get very real about that," Ocasio-Cortez toldThe New York Times. They are among the names vying to replace beleaguered New York mayor Eric Adams, who announced he was running as an independent, not a Democrat, amid ongoing accusations of corruption and a political storm over an alleged quid pro quo with President Donald Trump to avoid criminal charges. Adams insists he has done nothing wrong. Eleven Democrats are running, one Republican – Curtis Sliwa, founder of the Guardian Angels and a longtime anti-crime activist – and two independent candidates, Jim Walden, and Adams himself.
New York Post
13-05-2025
- Business
- New York Post
Manhattan's ‘first gay inn' sued by NYC for violating Airbnb crackdown
A makeshift hotel in Greenwich Village that was renting out rooms on Airbnb became the first property to get sued by the city for attempting to evade its crackdown on short-term rentals. Incentra Village House, bills itself as 'The First Gay Inn in Manhattan,' ran afoul of the city's 20-month clampdown, known as Local Law 18, for operating an illegal hotel, according to the complaint filed in State Supreme Court of New York on Monday. The city argues that Incentra Village has flouted the law for years, lacking adequate sprinkler systems and fire alarms, proper emergency exits and illegally converted a basement to a nightly rental. Advertisement 5 New York City sued Incentra Village Inn for operating as an illegal hotel. Instagram/incentravillage The mid-19th-century property at 30 and 32 Eighth Ave., located about a half-mile from the famed Stonewall Inn, had advertised a so-called Stonewall Room on AirBnb and other sites. The room was '2 flights down narrow rickety stairs to a sub-basement with no window. Ceiling was so low in spots that my husband who is 6 feet tall hit his head several time,' one guest wrote on a travel website. Advertisement Another who stayed in the same room noted that 'there was no means of escape, should anything happen,' according to the filing. Last week, a TripAdvisor review showed a photo of the city's vacate order posted on the front door. The site user noted that the room 'is in a serious state of disrepair…Everything is so worn down, broken, frayed, dirty,' the filing states. Incentra was never approved by the city to operate as a hotel because its certificate of occupancy was for permanent residences, according to the complaint. Nevertheless, it listed 12 rooms on platforms including Airbnb, Expedia Group/VRBO and TripAdvisor – which all took down the listings. Advertisement 5 The inn was built in 1841 as two connected townhouses. Instagram/incentravillage Incentra operates out of two townhouses that were built in 1841 and rents out rooms for upwards of $400 a night. It is still open for business, but appears to have taken down the listing for the basement room. Incentra sued the city earlier this year, arguing that it has operated as a hotel for decades and that the city is unfairly denying its application to change its classification from residential to commercial. Advertisement 5 Rooms rent for about $400 a night. Instagram/incentravillage The business did not immediately respond for comment, but an attorney for the property, Francisco Augspach, disputed the allegations to The New York Times. 'This lawsuit represents an unwarranted attack on the continuing operation of a lawful, pre-existing historic inn that has been serving The Greenwich Village community for many decades,' Augspach said. Local Law 18 was implemented in 2023 in response to the growing number of short term rentals on sites like Airbnb that are contributing to the housing crisis, according to the city. The regulation is known to be the most restrictive home sharing law in the world. 5 New York City implemented one of the strictest home-sharing laws in the country, known as Local Law 18. Instagram/incentravillage It requires hosts to register with the city in order to rent their apartments or homes for less than 30 days and to adhere to a strict set of rules. It limits the number of guests per unit to two and requires hosts to be present and to give guests free access to all rooms in the dwelling, barring locks on interior doors. It has effectively eliminated 92% of the short term rentals in New York City, to about 3,000 from 22,000, and spawned a black market for home sharing, as The Post previously reported. Advertisement Airbnb argues that the city's hotels have 'benefitted the most' by Local Law 18. Room rates have risen by 5% over the past year through March, to $320 per night, according to a report the company released last week. OSE has only issued 3,054 registrations to Airbnb hosts since 2023. 5 Incentra Village Inn is suing the New York City to change its residential classification. Instagram/incentravillage In court filings, Incentra said it is 'severely constrained' and 'threatened with closure and fines.' Advertisement The city wants to shut down Incentra Village and could financially cripple the business with fines that are tripled to $5,000 per unregistered short term rental each day it is rented out and more fines for continuing to market the business as a hotel. 'This illegal operation was brought to light thanks to New York City's robust registration and verification requirements,' said Christian Klossner, executive director of OSE. Local Law 18 'gave the city new tools to address [such] operations that seek to illegally profit off of our housing stock.'
