A group of affordable housing advocates, labor unions and tenant associations is fighting two bills in Albany that would loosen restrictions on New Yorkers who rent out their apartments on Airbnb.com .
The Real Rent Reform Coalition plans to hand out a memo to lawmakers Tuesday that claims the bills would undermine New York City rent control and rent stabilization laws “by allowing landlords, third-party businesses and tenants to rent apartments for short-term, illegal hotel use.”
A spokesman for Airbnb said: “62% of Airbnb hosts use the money they earn to pay their mortgage or rent, and experts have found that homesharing makes New York more affordable for more New Yorkers.”
The bills in question both seek to exempt “good actors” from a 2010 law targeting illegal hotels that prohibits renting apartments by the night.
One bill — sponsored by State Sen. Martin Golden and Assemblymember Keith Wright — seeks to help “legitimate individuals” who lease their apartments as vacation rentals.
Another bill — sponsored by State Sen. Diane Savino and Assemblyman Karim Camara — would make exceptions for “individuals that rent out their own units to help make ends meet and earn extra income.”
