NYC is Looking to Add More Regulations to Airbnb

New York City has already introduced regulations which crack down on illegal Airbnb hosts, but now they’re endeavoring to implement even more. Next month, the New York City Council are planning to activate a bill that makes it compulsory for Airbnb hosts to provide vital information to the Mayor’s Office of Special Enforcement.

That includes the address of all their listings, alongside their full name and primary address. What that does, is it allows officials to easily identify when hosts are operating illegal hotels, rather than lawfully renting out their own home. As the bill has yet to roll out, Council lawyers have still not established what penalties hosts will receive if they don’t provide the information.

An official from the Council – Corey Johnson – recently stated:

“Airbnb has refused to disclose data on their illegal listings, even when they’ve been subpoenaed by the city and questioned under oath by the Council. So, we’re taking action to do what they have failed to do – protect affordable housing from shady operators.”

However, Airbnb believes this new legislation is unjust and far too strict. Josh Meltzer, who is head of Northeast policy for the vacation platform, said…

“We have expressed willingness to work with lawmakers to safeguard the safety and privacy of these regular New Yorkers. But, until there is an honest attempt by lawmakers to delineate the tens of thousands of hosts who are responsibly sharing their space and the few bad actors who take advantage of the system, we remain committed to pushing back against any legislation that solely aims to frighten hardworking New Yorkers.”