NYC Airbnb Hosts Face Increasing Scrutiny From City Regulators

Property owners’ rights to host short-term Airbnb rentals in New York City in many cases still remain something of a legal gray area.

New York City Inspectors this month shut down an illegal Airbnb-listed hostel that doubled as an unregulated performance venue. The crackdown came in the wake of a tragic fire at an Oakland, California squat and art space that cost the lives of 36 people, but local lawmakers and regulators are also looking to take a harder line on more traditional Airbnb-hosted accommodations which have become a popular alternative to pricey and often cramped New York City hotel rooms.

According to the New York Post, the illegal hostel/venue in a disused industrial building in Brooklyn advertised cots and windowless rooms for $30 per night. “Do you love art and music?” the Airbnb listing reportedly enticed. “Excited about meeting other travelers? Up for an adventure? Then this is the place for you!” Officials called the site a fire hazard, but admitted listing the space on Airbnb was not in itself illegal – this is something Mayor Bill de Blasio would like to see changed.

New York is not the only city struggling to keep up with the so-called “sharing economy.” Earlier this month, the company announced that it was voluntarily limiting the way private residences in both London and Amsterdam are listed on the site. The move came after local lawmakers voiced concerns that the abundance of short-term rentals was actually contributing to housing shortages in those cities.

Last year, officials in Sweden complained about an even more dramatic consequence of a vibrant and largely unregulated short-term rental marketplace. Police in Stockholm issued an alert to potential Airbnb host that pimps were taking advantage of the website to set up pop-up under-the-radar-brothels in the city.

Meanwhile, some New York City Airbnb hosts say the city’s efforts to rein in Airbnb rentals has them worried about hefty fines and even prosecution. The Verge reports that hundreds of Airbnb supporters have turned out at public meetings to urge the Mayor’s office and council members to specifically exempt private homeowners from tough new regulations proposed to keep illegal hotels like the one recently shuttered in Brooklyn from listing accommodations on sharing sites such as Airbnb.

[Photo: Airbnb]