Traveling to New York City? Be warned: renting an Airbnb is going to get a lot harder.
A new ordinance went into effect on Sept. 5, which requires all short-term rental hosts to be registered with the city, live in the place they are renting, be present when someone is staying, and host only two guests at once.
The rule — titled Local Law 18 — affects all short-term rental booking platforms, including Airbnb
ABNB,
Booking.com
BKNG,
Expedia Group Inc.’s
EXPE,
Vrbo and others.
The rule will likely eliminate many Airbnb listings in New York City.
“New York City’s new short-term rental rules are a blow to its tourism economy and the thousands of New Yorkers and small businesses in the outer boroughs who rely on home sharing and tourism dollars to help make ends meet. The city is sending a clear message to millions of potential visitors who will now have fewer accommodation options when they visit New York City: you are not welcome,” Theo Yedinsky, global policy director for Airbnb, said in a statement to CNN.
Airbnb filed a lawsuit against NYC in June this year, calling the rule a “de facto ban against short-term rentals in New York City.” A judge dismissed the case in August.
According to Skift, the total number of Airbnb listings could fall by 70%.
Airbnb had already blocked calendars to prevent new reservations as early as Aug. 14, the company’s website stated, in anticipation of the Sept. 5 deadline.
“Existing reservations with check-in on or before December 1 will not be canceled to mitigate impact to Hosts and guests,” the company added. “To comply with the short-term rental regulations, we will be refunding all Airbnb fees associated with these stays after check-in occurs.”
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