NYC Airbnb Hosts Scrub Listings Ahead of New Rules

Finding an Airbnb in New York City is getting more challenging.

That’s because hosts are scrubbing listings to comply with a city-imposed deadline, while the company is moving to prevent future bookings, The Wall Street Journal reported Tuesday (Aug. 22). 

Hosts are scrambling to be in the clear by Sept. 5, when the city will begin more aggressive enforcement of rules governing short-term rentals.

The rules require hosts of short-term rentals to register with New York if they want to continue offering stays. They can only do so if they meet requirements like not renting out an entire apartment or home, and remaining present during their guests’ short-term stays.

In a statement to PYMNTS, a company spokesperson said Airbnb had wanted to work with the city to create “sensible” regulations for its hosts.

“The city is sending a clear message to millions of potential visitors who will now have fewer accommodation options when they visit New York City: you are not welcome,” the spokesperson said.

Airbnb has also called the requirements an effective “ban on short-term rentals.” The company sued New York City in June, saying the law requires owners to comply with “the maze of complex regulations” the city has for zoning, multiple dwellings and housing maintenance. That suit was thrown out earlier this month.

“Short-term rentals have become a frequent target for local activists and politicians, who say that many of the listings take affordable homes off the market,” PYMNTS wrote at the time. “Moreover, existing rules on when hosts can offer short-term rentals are regularly flouted, which has prompted complaints from city officials, housing advocates, and the hotel industry.”

That’s led to a rise in legislation in cities around the U.S. regulating short-term rentals, which in some cases will require hosts to obtain licenses and pay registration fees. Other legislations place limits on the number of short-term rentals in business districts.

A spokesman for New York Mayor Eric Adams told the New York Times in June the city was “committed to protecting safety and community livability for residents, preserving permanent housing stock, and ensuring our hospitality sector can continue to recover and thrive.

A few days after Airbnb filed its lawsuit, officials in France said they would close a tax loophole and end the more favorable tax treatment for short-term furnished rentals.

“We are going to reform the tax rules, and I will make proposals. When a windfall gets too big and tax is too favorable, there is no reason to keep such tax treatment that leads to excess,” French Finance Minister Bruno Le Maire told BFM TV in June.

Meanwhile, Airbnb Co-founder and CEO Brian Chesky said earlier this month that customers’ ability to work remotely contributes to a trend in guests staying longer at their rentals.

“Millions of people remain flexible about where they live and work, and we see this reflected in our bookings,” Chesky said during a quarterly earnings call. “In Q2, long-term stays remain 18% of total nights booked.”

The shift toward long-term stays accelerated during the quarter, the CEO added, with customers adding an extra night or two to their typical weekend stays thanks to their ability to travel and work remotely.