The city of New York will begin this Tuesday to apply a series of restrictions on short-term rentals that the Airbnb tourist accommodation platform considers a “de facto” ban on its activity.
The new regulations require all hosts to register with local authorities, since New York prohibits the rental of entire apartments for less than 30 days when the owners are not present, something that this type of business often does not respect.
“The city is sending a clear message to the millions of potential visitors who will now have fewer options for accommodation in New York: you are not welcome,” Airbnb director of global policy Theo Yedinsky said.
A spokeswoman for the platform also explained that New York regulations are an anomaly, even among cities that have decided to regulate tourist apartments such as Los Angeles and San Francisco, which do allow hosts to offer their apartment without them being present.
“De facto ban”
He also argued that Airbnb has been trying for years to work with authorities to address the problem of illegal apartments, but that the city has decided to pass “new rules that create a ‘de facto’ ban on short-term rentals.”
The spokeswoman questioned whether the measures could help reduce rental prices in the Big Apple, which is suffering from a housing crisis. In June, Airbnb sued the city and got the restrictions to take effect a few months later, as the regulations were scheduled to start applying on July 1. However, a judge dismissed the lawsuit last month, saying it is “rational” for authorities to want to control the legality of the apartments on offer.
Airbnb resists
In a message on its website, the platform regrets that its lawsuit was dismissed, and reminds its hosts that as of today they have two options: register with the authorities or increase the time they offer their accommodations to more than 30 days.
However, Airbnb will not cancel reservations already made that start before December 1st. Those that start after December 2 and do not comply with the regulations will be canceled and the money will be returned to the guests.
According to The New York Times, the city estimates that some 10,000 Airbnb apartments in 2022 were fraudulent. As in other cities around the world subjected to tourist pressure, New York authorities believe that this proliferation of tourist apartments contributes to higher rental prices for permanent residents and aggravates the housing crisis in the city.
Despite the news, Airbnb shares on the New York Stock Exchange were up 7% half an hour after the start of trading.
2023-09-06 03:01:00
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