A few years ago, M. came to New York for a celebration with four members of his family. They had reserved a tourist apartment in Manhattan. At the door of the building, the police did not exactly offer them a welcome with streamers and confetti.
The uniformed men blocked their way and gave them a sheet on which there was a list of hotels (high-level ones) so that they could find a place to stay. Little joke, not even an apology.
The property was sealed by court order due to the accumulation of debts from the business it housed, which offered affordable prices.
So, in view of the few contemplations of the agents of the authority, those who travel to visit New York from next September 5 will do well to check the status of their reservation on Airbnb. It is better to prevent than to get a big scare.
The leaders of the Big Apple have already indicated that from that day they will aggressively apply what is known as "the law against Airbnb", a denomination in which there is no room for doubt.
Numerous addresses that were offered are disappearing and the digital accommodation platform is blocking dates after that day, when the obligation for short-term rental hosts to register in the municipal records to continue offering their service comes into force.
The short-term term in this case means less than 30 days. Registration means accepting a series of conditions. This includes a key clause such as the one that prevents renting an entire apartment or a house. It is a connection with the initial spirit of what was the origin of this offer, and this obligation means that the host must be present in his home while welcoming visitors. Neither can accommodate more than two guests at a time. Any violation will be penalized with 5,000 dollars.
Although other cities have already adopted control measures in this regard, the industry and travelers are watching what happens in New York, always the benchmark, the vanguard. Tourists will see their options greatly reduced from next month.
Currently there are around 38,500 offers on Airbnb in New York. On the other hand, and thanks to the new law, at the beginning of this month some 8,700 buildings had been listed as prohibited for that platform.
This regulation is the embodiment of the long dispute between Airbnb and the metropolis. In principle, the regulations were to enter into force last July, but the platform appealed what it described as "extreme and oppressive" legislation. A judge dismissed the appeal on August 8. For the company, these measures represent "the de facto prohibition of short-term rentals."
City officials and many residents say this change is imperative to combat New York's affordable housing crises. This problem has worsened in the post-pandemic period and the City Council wants to apply a plan to transform disused offices into 200,000 flats. Airbnb denies any impact on resolving that shortfall.
The new regulation affects large owners, who saw in this platform a way to get more profitability from the rental market, which is already increasingly sky-high in this city.
But it also has a high cost for many owners of a single apartment, who used it, when they were on work trips, to get extra money that would allow them to complete their salary and be able to face the mortgage, now more expensive due to the increases in prices. the Federal Reserve of interest rates to combat inflation.
Many observe that there will be a major change in their future. Not a few of these offers have already begun to disappear, they emphasize in the sector.
Don't forget the impact on travelers, either, smallholders say. In general, part of those who went to that market were families who could not afford several hotel rooms, a business that fishes in troubled rivers.
