All this registration requires is that platforms and hosts comply to the existing laws,” said Cayler. “We made no amendments to the law whatsoever. Tom Cayler, chair of the Coalition Against Illegal Hotels and a member of the West Side Neighborhood Alliance, emphasized that Local Law 18 is about enforcing dwelling requirements that already exist. Previously, the city would rely on individual complaints to address issues with short-term rentals or rely on platforms to enforce the regulations themselves.īut under new rules, any hosts in violation could be fined between $1,000 and $5,000. Platforms that advertise short-term rentals, such as Airbnb and Vrbo, would also be required to ensure that all hosts using the app are abiding by city law and are properly registered. Under the crackdown, hosts would need to prove that they reside in the rented properties, that the home is up to safety code and other requirements that amount to a stronger enforcement of existing laws relating to multiple dwellings and permanent residencies. Legal short-term rentals are any properties where no more than two people are hosted, the host resides in the dwelling unit, and where guests have access to all parts of the dwelling unit, according to the city. Local Law 18, passed by the city council last year, would now require short-term rentals to be registered with the city.

“Regular people have been lured on to the site where it is easy to advertise illegal occupancy without restraint,” said Klossner, who pointed to Airbnb’s main launching page that recruits hosts based on revenue they could make from entire home occupancy, which is not permitted in the city. With the new regulations, the city is aiming to enforce regulations around thousands of illegal short-term rentals across the city, according to Christian Klossner, the executive director of New York City mayor’s office of special enforcement, which will oversee implementation of the law.

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