New York City is moving forward with a long-awaited crackdown on Airbnb hosts, with officials proposing a strict new registration system for hosts on Friday that will go into effect in January.
The proposed rules that were quietly made public on Friday will give existing regulations more teeth, including a ban on hosts renting an “entire registered dwelling unit.” There are also entirely new rules. Airbnb hosts, for example, will need to submit diagrams of their apartments along with proof that their listing is a permanent residence.
Hosts will also be required to state the “full legal name of all permanent occupants of the listing” along with their relationship to the host. They will also need to provide their leases if they are renting and certify that they understand all zoning requirements, building code regulations and other issues associated with the ‘multiple dwelling law’, according to the 30-page document. .
If hosts don’t 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 liable to a fine of $1,500 per violation.
Last year, the city council passed the Registration Act, but little was known about the details and requirements, which will come into effect on January 9 and be enforced by May 9. City officials will hold a public hearing on the proposed rules on Dec. 5.
While a handful of other cities, including Boston and Santa Monica, Calif., have similar registration requirements, New York’s rules are far more restrictive — and could put a major damper on how hosts rent currently their apartments, according to sources familiar with the rules.
Among the requirements, the source said, is one that prohibits hosts from putting locks on doors that separate guest from host, directing that “a registered host shall not allow a tenant to have exclusive access to a separate room in a dwelling” and specifying that, for example, “it is forbidden to provide the tenant with a key to lock the door when this tenant is not in the dwelling”.
“Looks like there are a lot of pitfalls,” said a source with direct knowledge of the regulations.
It’s the last salvo in the strained relationship between New York and Airbnb, which has long pushed back against the city’s efforts to regulate the industry. Meanwhile, the city blames Airbnb, in part, for its housing shortage.
City officials say registration is necessary because there are too many security concerns and rogue hosts and landlords breaking existing rules, including a requirement that prohibits rentals of less than 30 days when the host is not present.
“These rules clarify short-term rental laws and establish a simple process for hosts to obtain registration for their legal rentals, as required by Local Law 18 of 2022,” said Christian Klossner, executive director of the Mayor’s Office of Special Execution, in a report. “OSE looks forward to hearing from the public during the comment period.”
The OSE, which is responsible for regulating the home-sharing industry, will be responsible for enforcing the rules and verifying the registration process, which also includes alerting landlords and building owners to Recordings. OSE will also alert landlords and building owners on how they can apply to be on a list of buildings that prohibit short-term rentals.
Airbnb said it was reviewing the regulations, but called them “draconian”.
“The bill passed by the DeBlasio administration, as interpreted by the Office of Special Enforcement, will create a draconian and unenforceable registration system that will prevent legal and responsible hosts from listing their homes at a time when New York families navigate the rising cost of living. “, an Airbnb spokesperson said in a statement.
“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.”
New York hotels and the union that represents hotel workers, the Hotel Trades Council, have long advocated for tougher rules on home sharing because Airbnb has reduced its market share here. They argue that Airbnb is not held to the same safety standards as their buildings, among other criticisms.
“We fully support the city’s Local Law 18 which will require registration of short-term rentals,” Vijay Dandapani, president of the New York Hotel Association, said in a statement.
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