Airbnb bookings dry up in New York as new short-stay rules are introduced - eviltoast

Under the new restrictions, short-term renters will need to register with the city and must be present in the home for the duration of the rental

Home-sharing company Airbnb said it had to stop accepting some reservations in New York City after new regulations on short-term rentals went into effect.

The new rules are intended to effectively end a free-for-all in which landlords and residents have been renting out their apartments by the week or the night to tourists or others in the city for short stays. Advocates say the practice has driven a rise in demand for housing in already scarce neighbourhoods in the city.

Under the new system, rentals shorter than 30 days are only allowed if hosts register with the city. Hosts must also commit to being physically present in the home for the duration of the rental, sharing living quarters with their guest. More than two guests at a time are not allowed, either, meaning families are effectively barred.

  • some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org
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    1 year ago

    NY is killing it. More of this, please.

    Airbnb has fought the rules in court, arguing they were essentially a ban, and that they would hurt visitors looking for affordable accommodation.

    They’re called hotels. A ban is appropriate. Fuck you.

    • Hacksaw@lemmy.ca
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      1 year ago

      Not to mention legitimate bed and breakfasts are still legal and well regulated businesses.

    • wolfpack86@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      The problem is there are more instances of people who own places just to rent. Ban those. But permit people to rent places they actually have established residency in.

      As an example… Boyfriends and girlfriends with their own places but spending the night swapping between are also super inefficient usage of resources. I’m obviously not suggesting that couples must live together… But they’re perfect for occasional Airbnb rentals. Rent it for the week and spend that week at your partners. Same with people who travel for work.

    • Pat12@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Airbnb has fought the rules in court, arguing they were essentially a ban, and that they would hurt visitors looking for affordable accommodation.

      They’re called hotels.

      I don’t know about prices in NYC but I can assure you that the cost of an airbnb in asia is nothing compared to the cost of a hotel (for the same standard)

      • some_guy@lemmy.sdf.org
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        1 year ago

        When we don’t have a housing crisis, this argument will be much more appealing. There’s massive homelessness where I live (Bay Area), so how much someone has to pay for a room is a lot lower on my list.

      • SexyTimeSasquatch@lemmy.world
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        1 year ago

        Airbnb prices are comparable to similar hotels, maybe even more expensive in the US and Europe. Same thing will happen in Asia once they gain the market share they’re looking for, then they’ll raise prices.

        • aidan@lemmy.world
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          1 year ago

          Absolutely incorrect in central/eastern Europe. Hotels are usually $100+ a night for a suite, Airbnbs depending on the city can be as low as $50 a night for the whole apartment.

    • aidan@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Hotels in NY and other cities need competition, smaller scale land owners renting their condos while on vacation, or their parents home that they wouldn’t sell anyways is perfectly fine. Hotels take up a lot of land and often have many vacancies so that is just as much of a problem, and yes tenants can longer term live in hotels- I lived in a hotel for around 7 months because it was cheaper than an apartment(not paying the market price but just talked to the manager) during COVID, many(maybe most) nights I was the only person in the building. Prices are a supply issue which existed long before Airbnb but it’s just easy to blame.

    • Bonskreeskreeskree@lemmy.world
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      1 year ago

      Hotels are not an end all be all solution. They are significantly more expensive when dealing with large family’s or groups of travelers. Most do not allow pets.

      • zaph@sh.itjust.works
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        1 year ago

        That doesn’t outweigh the problems being created. A bnb isn’t supposed to be the same as renting a cabin for the week.

            • Bonskreeskreeskree@lemmy.world
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              1 year ago

              Your last sentence says airbnbs are not supposed to be the same as renting a cabin for the weekend. I pointed out there are different companies effectively doing the same thing. Its not a far stretch. Let’s add in families like going to cities on trips and not just camping in the woods.

              • zaph@sh.itjust.works
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                1 year ago

                And you conveniently missed things like population density. Put some thought into the why instead of looking for the first strawman that jumps out at you.