NYC May Lose 10,000 Airbnb Listings Due to New Regulations

The new regulations are set to be implemented on January 9.

Finding an Airbnb in the Big Apple is about to become more difficult. After recently announcing stringent new regulations on home-sharing platforms, the administration of Mayor Eric Adams now estimates that approximately 10,000 Airbnb listings are likely to be erased from the platform.

The new rules—which were initially proposed earlier in November—are set to go into effect starting January 9, Daily News reports. According to the new regulations, Airbnb hosts will be required to register their listed homes and apartments with the city's Office of Special Enforcement, and failing to do so will result in hefty fines. Hosts who proceed to rent out their units without registering them could face penalties up to $5,000.

To successfully register an Airbnb listing, the units must meet some very specific requirements. All those homes and apartments that don't satisfy the registration conditions will be weeded out of the platform, and hosts won't be able to rent them out anymore. Christian Klossner, the executive director of the Office of Special Enforcement, said in an interview that about 10,000 units will end up being delisted.

It's already illegal for New Yorkers to rent out their full home or apartment, meaning homeowners can only rent out spare bedrooms in their home for short-term use (which is less than 30 days), and hosts must still reside in the unit while renting it out.

The new registration process will require hosts to provide the Office of Special Enforcement with the full legal names of all residents of the unit, as well as a lease or a document stating the unit's permanent status. Additionally, hosts will be required to certify that their apartments are in compliance with zoning regulations, safety regulations, and building codes. A publicly accessible database will also be implemented, and users will be able to search and find the registration information for a specific host and apartment.

Airbnb will also be punished if it fails to collaborate with the new proposed regulations. If the platform is caught processing payments for unregistered hosts, it could face fines of $1,500 per violation. In a statement, Airbnb criticized the new rules, and claimed that they will only make it harder for lawful hosts to list their homes and apartments.Many New York hosts have also criticized the city's decisions, claiming that the new regulations don't serve their interests. Many of the New Yorkers cited both disability and low-income status in their memo to the city, and asked the office to reconsider the proposed regulations in favor of those who need Airbnb to survive living in NYC.

"It is unfair and unwise to crack down on small homeowners, such as one- and two-family houses that the city previously promised to leave alone," reads one comment on the public website managed by the Mayor's Office of Operations. "Start by going after the mega hosts who have multiple properties—you will get the bad actors that way."

"I am unable to work full-time due to health reasons and therefore my income is restricted. I've lived in my apartment 19 years and for the past several years with a disability, Airbnb'ing my apartment has helped me be able to pay rent," adds another user. "Without the option of Airbnb, I will not be able to pay my bills and live in my apartment. Please do not take this income support away from struggling New Yorkers."

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Serena Tara is a Staff Writer on the News team at Thrillist. Follow her on Twitter and Instagram.