Small property owner after small property owner talked about how renting out a room in their homes has been helping them survive in an increasingly expensive city.

“Without Airbnb, I would be a statistic, out in the street homeless,” Jean said, who attended the hearing.

But the income these landlords have been making through sites like Airbnb could soon end amid implementation of Local Law 18.

What You Need To Know

  • The city is set to regulate short-term rentals like Airbnb

  • On Wednesday, the Mayor's Office of Special Enforcement held a second public hearing allowing landlords and hosts to weigh in on the proposed regulations

  • Some of the proposed rules under Local Law 18 include hosts providing personal information on everyone residing in the rental, providing proof of residence at the listing, and that hosts be present during the time of a rental

  • There are also proposed violations that range from $100 to $5,000. Hosts will also have to register their listings every two years

The law established new requirements for short-term rentals, including a registration process.  

City officials are currently ironing out details on how to implement the new law including new rules for hosts like providing personal information on everyone residing in the rental, providing proof of residence at the listing, and that hosts be present during the time of a rental.

There are also proposed violations that range from $100 to $5,000. Hosts will also have to register their listings every two years.

Lawmakers who support the crackdown say it is needed to combat the public safety issues short-term rentals pose to local residents and to keep the hotel industry thriving.

“New York needs to prioritize housing for New Yorkers, out of towners are obviously still welcomed in our city and they can both enjoy the hotels as well as those hosts who are in compliance with the law,” State Senator Gustavo Rivera said, who represents the Bronx.

“The hospitality industry in general, which has been hit very hard by COVID, needs to recover,” State Assemblywoman Debrah Glick said, who represents the neighborhoods of Hell’s Kitchen, NoHo, SoHo and Greenwich Village.

Landlords pushed back against the idea that they are hoarding vital housing stock. They say their extra units are free only when family or friends aren’t staying over and that they don’t rent long-term due to bad experiences.

“We rented for six months to two college graduates. We thought they were great. They ended up leaving back to their home country, while we were stuck cleaning up after them,” Mark Macias said, who attended the hearing.

Landlords noted they are an essential part of the local business economy, bringing in thousands of tourists a year and helping neighborhood shops thrive.