New York considers ban on short-term vacation rentals

For many budget-conscious Big Apple visitors, scoring a short-term apartment rental through Craigslist or lodging websites like AirBnB and Roomorama is a money-saving alternative to pricey Manhattan hotels - and a way t

This undated file photo shows a close up of the Statue of Liberty. CAPTIONAP Photoo live, if only for a few nights, like a real New Yorker.

But maybe not for long: This week, writes Budget Travel, "New York state senators vote on a bill that would make it illegal for any homeowner or renter to sublet for less than a month. The new law would be a blanket ban on short-term rentals no matter how ethical the renter is. (It's always been illegal to violate co-op leases and condominium bylaws.)"


As I noted back in 2008, the practice of renting New York City apartments for short-term stays was already controversial, in part because some landlords were scamming potential guests with substandard or even nonexistent digs.

"This isn't a business practice we support, and we strongly discourage people" from renting apartments, Chris Heywood of NYC & Company, the city's official tourism arm, told me back then. "It's a real case of buyer beware."

On the plus side, "sites like AirBnB generally offer security measures, such as holding your payment in escrow until you and the renter both meet in person and agree you're a good match. The sites also let you ask a host questions eBay-style before you book," says Budget Travel.

"Vacation rentals in New York are a love-hate relationship, with multiple layers of regulations," says Carl Shepherd of HomeAway, Inc.

Unlike sites such as AirBnB, adds Shepherd, HomeAway's 800-plus listings in the city are a combination of units offered through property management companies and apartments used expressly as short-term rentals. While the current bill "may have been intended to properly stop a tenant from subletting an apartment or transients staying on couches or in back rooms or Murphy-beds of someone they met on Craigslist," he says, the proposed law "calls into question whether or not a property owner can choose to rent his property for less than 30 days for a legitimate, legal purpose."
Sources >>> By Laura Bly, USA TODAY