Airbnb calls on New York to re-evaluate short-term rental ban  

Airbnb is calling on New York to re-evaluate its short-term rental restrictions one year after a new law created a de facto ban. 

Airbnb said in a recent blog post that Local Law 18 (LL18) is an outlier compared to other laws restricting rentals across the country.

The law, which went into effect last September, bans entire-unit short-term rentals, and regulates room rentals in primary residences. City officials had argued it would help convert more than 10,000 apartments rented to vacationers into permanent housing for residents. 

But Airbnb argues vacancy rates have held steady at around 3.4% since the law took effect. 

"Legislators claimed LL18 would protect affordable housing yet an overwhelming body of evidence from the past year shows this approach has not delivered on that promise," Airbnb said.

The company pointed out that New York rent prices continue to rise and that the outer boroughs of the city are left with almost no accommodation options. 

“New York City’s short-term rental regulations have backfired—disproportionately impacting outer borough communities, driving up travel costs, and doing nothing to solve the housing crisis. Instead of improving affordability, these regulations have priced out everyday consumers and left former hosts struggling to make ends meet," Theo Yedinsky, Vice President of Public Policy at Airbnb, said in the blog post. 

Calling on New York to amend LL18, Airbnb said the city should "at minimum" consider allowing homeowners to once again host guests. 

"The solution to solving LL18 lies in a more balanced approach that recognizes the value of short-term rentals while addressing one of the root causes of housing affordability – building more homes," Airbnb said. 

But New York has shown no sign of wanting to rewrite LL18. Christian Klossner, the executive director of The Office of Special Enforcement, said in an interview with Skift that the law “has been pivotal in protecting the city’s housing stock from illicit activity and keeping New Yorkers safe.”

Below, please find Property Guard's weekly short term rental regulation round-up, highlighting state and local news regarding short term rental regulations to regulate (or prohibit) Airbnbs and other STRs. If you want a comprehensive data solution on STR regulations in all 20,000 state and local jurisdictions, contact us here.

New and Proposed Regulations:

• Colorado: A dozen city and town councils voted to support new local taxes on vacant trophy homes and short-term rentals. (link). 
• Wichita, Kansas: City councilors, after approving an ordinance that allows police to shut down "nuisance parties" at short-term rentals, are debating if the renter or the property owner should be fined. (link) 
• New Orleans, Louisiana: A proposed law in The Big Easy would force Airbnb and Vrbo to ensure any short-term rental listed on their site is properly licensed or else pay a fine of $1,000 per illegal listing per day. (link) 
• Long Beach, California: City councilors are considering a new measure that would classify units rented for less than 28 days as a transient rental property, effectively creating a ban. (link) 
  

Other Noteworthy News:

• California cleanup: Governor Gavin Newsom signed a bill into law that requires short-term rental hosts to disclose cleaning tasks up front that guests need to finish before check-out to avoid a fee or penalty. (link) 
• Rising popularity: A recent survey found an increasing preference for short-term rentals among travels, particularly for families and large groups, with half of respondents reporting they have stayed in a STR. (link)