Is this crisis time for Airbnb in New York? New rules make rentals shorter than 30 days more difficult in the Big Apple

New regulations dictate rentals shorter than 30 days are allowed only if hosts register with the city, live with guests and put up no more than two at a time

Supporters of the restrictions say they are necessary to stop flats from ‘becoming hotels’. Detractors say they prove visitors are ‘not welcome’

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Airbnb hosts rally in New York City to speak out against short-term rental regulations on July 12, 2023. Short-term rental regulations have gone into effect in New York City, delivering a large blow to many Airbnb hosts. Photo: Getty Images

Published: 7:45pm, 6 Sep 2023

Home-sharing giant Airbnb said it has had to stop accepting some reservations in New York City as new regulations on short-term rentals went into effect on September 5 that will mean big changes for travellers hoping to avoid the high cost of a Big Apple hotel.

The new rules are intended to end a free-for-all in which city landlords and residents have been renting out their flats by the week or the night to tourists or others in town for short stays.

Under the new system, rentals shorter than 30 days are allowed only if hosts register with the city. Hosts must 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.

Platforms such as Airbnb, VRBO and others are not allowed to process rentals for unregistered hosts – and as of early this week, few had successfully registered. The city says it has approved just under 300 of the more than 3,800 applications received.

Supporters of Airbnb hold a rally outside City Hall in New York in 2015. Photo: AP

Officials and housing advocates who had pushed for the restrictions said they were necessary to stop flats from becoming de facto hotels.