New Airbnb rules in New York limit accommodation options for tourists
Tourists looking for places to stay in New York City will discover a significantly reduced number of choices due to strict regulations imposed on Airbnb.
The recent rules implemented on Tuesday have effectively put an end to an unrestricted practice that permitted both property owners and tenants to rent out their accommodations to travelers for short periods of time either on a weekly basis or nightly.
Airbnb claims to have already commenced restricting a few fresh bookings.
According to the latest regulations, individuals who have officially registered as hosts will be the only ones permitted to accommodate guests for durations shorter than 30 days through platforms like Airbnb and VRBO.
They are required to stay inside the house when leasing it and are restricted to having a maximum of two visitors at any given time. This essentially forbids families from staying and ceases the possibility of booking the house for group parties or celebratory weekends.
Officials in New York City have reported that they've received a staggering 3,800 applications from individuals aspiring to become registered hosts. However, the number of approved applications currently stands at just under 300.
The rules have been a victory for supporters of housing who contended that apartments in the urban area were effectively turning into hotels.
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Airbnb fiercely contested the recently implemented regulations, asserting that the stringent requirements effectively impose a prohibition and will have adverse consequences on tourists seeking reasonably priced lodging options.
However, beginning on August 21, 2023, Airbnb - which previously had 38,500 listings in New York categorised as 'non-hotel' in January - has implemented a policy to prevent hosts without a city registration number or proof of application from accepting reservations.
The regulators in New York are not the pioneers in imposing limitations on the operations of vacation rental platforms within their city.
Airbnb hosts in San Francisco have a restriction that allows them to lease their entire property solely for a maximum period of 90 days in one year. In Amsterdam, this limit is set at 30 nights, unless a particular license is obtained.
In 2014, Berlin completely prohibited the renting of properties for short periods, but this decision was reversed in 2018. Nevertheless, regulations limiting the duration of property rentals are still imposed in the German capital.
