New York City is taking action against numerous Airbnb hosts who have legally registered their homes for sharing but have violated the city’s stringent rules set in 2023.
Some hosts listed their whole apartments for stays under 30 days — a common practice for Airbnb outside the city — or allowed more than two guests at a time, violating the city’s regulations that have been in place for almost two years, the Office of Special Enforcement reported.
The OSE sent warning letters to 500 out of the 3,000 registered short-term rental hosts, and five were informed that their licenses would be revoked.
The agency did not identify the five hosts or disclose the nature of their violations.
OSE discovered the violations by looking at the host’s listings on sites including Airbnb, spokesman Noah Pransky told The Post.
Hosts could face fines of up to $5,000. Fines are “on the table” for the five hosts who will have their licenses revoked, but the 500 hosts were issued their first warning.
“Some hosts didn’t know they had violated the regulations,” Pransky said. “And we are giving them a chance to get into compliance.”
Most registered hosts appear to be following the law, but nearly 20% of them have been bending the rules.
The short-term rental rule, known as Local Law 18, went into effect in September 2023. It requires hosts to register with the city and to certify that their homes meet rigorous building, zoning and other codes.
Airbnb sued New York City over what it described as the most restrictive home-sharing regulations in the country, including no locked doors inside apartments and giving guests unrestricted access to common areas. It also limits the number of guests to two at a time.
Airbnb has seen its listings plunge by 90% in New York City since Local Law 18 was implemented. Before the law there were some 22,000 home-sharing hosts in New York City.
“We are committed to protecting New York City’s housing stock for the people who call this city home – not for those seeking to profit at the expense of our communities,” Mayor Eric Adams said in a statement. “Illegal short-term rentals reduce the supply of permanent housing, drive up rents and threaten the stability and affordability of our neighborhoods.”
Airbnb argues that Local Law 18 has only helped the hotel industry, which lobbied for the regulation. Hotel rates have risen by more than 5% and are double the national average, according to Airbnb research.
OSE also announced that it’s simplifying its application process to “speed up the process for people who want to register with the city,” Pransky said.
In May OSE sued a property in Greenwich Village – known as the first gay Inn in Manhattan – that was renting out rooms on Airbnb, alleging that the property is an illegal hotel.
