VRMA Administrator
New York City is moving toward cracking down on Airbnb hosts, with officials proposing a strict new registration system for hosts that will come into force in January. The rules include a ban on hosts renting out an “entire registered dwelling unit,” and a requirement that hosts must submit diagrams of their apartments and proof that their listings are permanent residences. They also will have to list the “full legal name of all permanent occupants of the dwelling” as well as their relationship to the host, and provide leases if they are renting and certify that they understand all zoning mandates, building code regulations, and other issues connected to “multiple dwelling law.” Non-compliance could lead to a maximum fine of $5,000, and Airbnb and other platforms are required to confirm rentals on their systems or face a $1,500 fine per violation. One source mentioned potential hindrances, such as a rule barring hosts from putting locks on doors that separate the guest from the host, mandating that “a registered host shall not allow a rentee to have exclusive access to a separate room within a dwelling” and specifying that, for instance, “providing the rentee with a key to lock the door when such rentee is not in the dwelling is prohibited.” An Airbnb spokesperson criticized the regulations as supporting “a draconian and unworkable registration system that will prevent lawful and responsible hosts from listing their homes at a time when New York families are navigating the rising cost of living.”
New York Post (11/04/22) Lisa Fickenscher
