New AirBnB Bill Stirs Up Housing Controversy
- Elevate Rentals
- Jan 30
- 2 min read
As the market for AirBnB and other short-term rental holders continue to be on the rise, it seems a new bill has arrived to deliver a stir up around NYC's housing market.
Intro 1107, is a bill proposed by council member Farah Louis. This bill would allow property owners with one and two-family homes to rent their property to up to four adults (and their children) at a time for less than 30 days. It would also get rid of rules that required owners or permanent occupants of the unit to be present in the unit during a guest's stay.
The bill was an effort by Louis, who claims she had made this bill with the welfare of homeowners in mind. "These homeowners pursuing the American dream are being held back by a policy that treats them as though they are commercial enterprises," she said. Those in support of the bill believe it wouldn't have too much of an effect, since this bill would only refer to a small percentage of New York homeowners who would want to rent their primary home. Not take homes off the market. Nathan Rotman (director of policy for AirBnb) said in a statement, "This bill aims to fix an overly restrictive short-term rental law that, in the last year, has failed to decrease rents in NYC and only increased hotel rates exorbitantly for travelers. The big hotel chains are using scare tactics to exploit one of the biggest social challenges of our time to boost their profits with sky high nightly rates – it’s time to fix a broken law that hasn’t helped housing but has padded hotel industry pockets at everyone else’s expense."
While there were many supporters that can find relief for a source of income with the passing of this bill, the are just as many adversaries that have something different to say.
A grassroots coalition named Tenants Not Tourists organized a rally last week in front of City Hall. A little over 300 tenants and housing advocates came together against the passing of the bill, supporting the belief that this bill will add more damage to the housing crisis occurring in NYC.
According to adversaries against Intro 1107, the passing of this bill would diminish significant strides of regulatory enforcement towards illegal airbnb Rentals that were burdening the local housing market. Brad Lander, NYC Comptroller, made a statement saying, "Rolling back the strongest Airbnb protections in the country will not solve the affordable housing crisis that is pushing New Yorkers out of the city."
Harvey Epstein (Manhattan Assembly Member) adds, “This bill places real estate interests ahead of the needs of tenants. The city is already struggling with record-low vacancy rates, and this bill would make it even more challenging for tenants to find affordable places to live.”
The announcement of 1107 in New York has already caused such great controversy amongst locals, visitors, and important community members in the city. As we continue to wait for the verdict, we can only wonder what effect the passing or denial of this bill may truly inflict on the future of the Airbnb and short-term rental market in NYC.
Sources:
Photo from the Washington Post
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