NYC Imposes More Stringent Rules on Airbnb Hosts; Home Hosting Industry Calls Them “Draconian”
Edited by: TJVNews.com
It appears that Aribnb hosts in New York City will be facing severe crackdowns as New York City come January as city officials on Friday proposed a strict new registration system, according to the New York Post.
The rules that were proposed will be an add-on to those regulations already in existence for Airbnb hosts and they include a prohibition on hosts renting out an “entire registered dwelling unit,” as was reported by the Post. According to the new rules, Airbnb hosts, for example, will be required to submit diagrams of their apartments as well as proof that their listings are permanent residences, the report said.
Hosts also will be required to list the “full legal name of all permanent occupants of the dwelling” as well as their relationship to the host. The Post reported that they also will have to provide their leases if they are renting and to certify that they understand all the zoning requirements, building code regulations and other issues associated with “multiple dwelling law,” according to the 30-page document.
If hosts fail to comply, they can be fined up to $5,000 under the new rules, while Airbnb and other platforms are required to verify the rental on its systems and could be responsible for a $1,500 fine per violation, the Post reported.
The new Aribnb rules will become effective on January 9, 2023 and will be enforced by May 9th. The Post also reported that last year, the city council passed the registration law, but little was known about the details and requirements until now. City officials will hold a public hearing on the proposed rules December 5th.
The New York Post also reported that according to sources familiar with the rules, as compared with other US cities such as Boston that have similar registration requirements, the regulations in the Big Apple are way more restrictive. The report indicates that these stringent rules could possibly present a formidable problem on how Airbnb hosts go about renting out their apartments.
Sources told the Post that other requirements include one that bars hosts from putting locks on doors that separate the guest from the host, directing that “a registered host shall not allow a rentee to have exclusive access to a separate room within a dwelling” and specifying that, for example, “providing the rentee with a key to lock the door when such rentee is not in the dwelling is prohibited.”
The source who has direct knowledge of the regulations told the Post that “It feels like there are a lot of traps.”
New York City and Airbnb have always been at logger heads which has long pushed back on the city’s efforts to regulate the home hosting industry, according to the Post report. As to the housing shortage in New York City, city officials have assigned blame for that to Airbnb, the Post reported.
City officials have asserted that too many safety issues exist and rogue hosts and landlords are violating existing rules, which makes such registration a requirement, according to the Post report. This includes requirement that bans rentals for less than 30 days when the host is not present, the report added.
In a statement issued, Christian Klossner, executive director at the Mayor’s Office of Special Enforcement said, “These rules clarify short-term rental laws and lay out a straightforward process for hosts to obtain a registration for their legal rentals, as required by Local Law 18 of 2022. OSE looks forward to hearing from the public during the comment period.”
Charged with regulating Airbnb and its competitors in the industry is the OSE and they will be responsible for enforcing the rules and vetting the registration process, which also includes alerting landlords and building owners about registrations, the Post reported. OSE will also alert landlords and building owners on how they can apply to get on a list of buildings that prohibit short term rentals, the report added.
For their part, Airbnb is not happy with the more stringent regulations and the Post reported that the company described them as “draconian.”
“The bill passed by the DeBlasio administration, as interpreted by the Office of Special Enforcement, will create a draconian and unworkable registration system that will prevent lawful and responsible hosts from listing their homes at a time when New York families are navigating the rising cost of living,” an Airbnb spokesperson said in a statement, the Post reported.
“We will continue to engage in conversations with the current administration to support an effective and transparent regulatory framework that helps responsible hosts and targets illegal hotel operators.”
