What's currently legal in NY and what's coming up.

Evelyn0
Level 10
Arkport, NY

What's currently legal in NY and what's coming up.

What's Legal Airbnb & NYC.pngI just wrote a post explaining New York's current and proposed law regarding Airbnb and short term rentals. Check it out and let me know what is happening in your neck of the woods.

 

http://www.evelynbadia.com/blog/simple-guide-current-ny-laws-airbnb

6 Replies 6
Andrew90
Level 10
New York, NY

Great article and very much needed needed.
Andrew - see community help guides for many great FAQ

Thank you

Thanks

Rebecca121
Level 1
New York, NY

How can we find out when Cuomo signs the new bill and it becomes a law?

That's a beautiful graphic but the DOB Inspector Chung told me on May 21st 2018 that even if I have monthly roommates and no short term guests, if they are not on the lease, I am technically a hotel and an ILLEGAL hotel at that.  He also did not have a date to cure by forcing me to go to court in a month (I cancelled immediately and issued full refunds to anyone on the premises after the inspection because I did not want to traumatize them). 

 

They don't tell you that even if you live there, you are still a hotel and that is illegal especially if you do not have sprinklers, a wired fire alarm system and secondary egress.   That is what the inspector told me and when I asked the girl on the phone if it was true that I could not have monthly roommates, she said why did you tell them that?  (because I want to be legal).  Now I have no roommates to help me cover the rent because I guess no one wants to co sign a lease.   I really do love this apartment but how can I keep it?  I will just move back to Queens because I think NYC will go after targeted real estate and not someone nice like Evelyn. I am technically not nice because my building is filled with triad cronies and my father was murdered by one of the apartment's claimants who used the apt as his post prison address.    NYC is no place for people like my family.  It belongs to the triad and the govt is pro triad.  I don't have a problem stopping hosting because of the safety issues but it is all very shady how they don't wnat you to know before you host that you are not legal.   It is a trap.   

 

The articles pretend it is about the "evil" hotel industry not letting guests save money instead of emphasizing the safety issues - this makes all hosts look bad by design - that we are so greedy that we would put safety behind illegal hosting.  I have stopped hosting and have found it impossible to find a roommate so I am very worried but it doesn't change the fact that I can never host again in this building because of the lack of safety elements.   Also, Inspector Chung said I would still be a hotel if I had monthly roommates unless they were on a lease.  That is terrible news and contradicts what they tell us in the press about having roommates who are not on the lease. 

 

I am not trying to ruin hosting but I personally cannot do it since the FDNY Inspector Brown said gently and sadly, "It is about safety"  - it's like someone telling you not to drive drunk and not risk killing three babies.   How can you argue with that?

I think some of the condo owners in NYC can legally host because their newer buildings have those safety elements so airbnb hosting belongs to those few hosts.  But a house probably does not have a sprinkler system.


I think NYC is hypocritical and is intentionally not going after every host because there is a benefit to the real estate industry.  I want airbnb to stay because I need the exposure to find subtenants and roommates who want to be on the lease because the other options are no good.   Not only should all hosts register but all GUESTS identities should be filed with NYPD.    I don't see the problem for airbnb letting the city do this since airbnb has already agreed to it in other cities.    It's not a big deal for airbnb to allow it. 

 

There are so many microaggressions BY GUESTS who are in your HOME and basically know that you are so desperate financially that you would actually let some stranger into your home.