New York City has cracked down on Airbnb, the home-sharing platform, by imposing new regulations that effectively ban short-term rentals in most of the city.
The new rules, which went into effect on August 21, require hosts to register with the city and be physically present in the home for the duration of the rental. They also limit rentals to a maximum of two guests per night.
Airbnb has fought the new rules in court, arguing that they are illegal and will hurt visitors looking for affordable accommodation. However, the city has said that the rules are necessary to protect housing affordability and prevent illegal hotels from operating in residential neighborhoods.
As a result of the new rules, Airbnb stopped accepting new short-term reservations in New York City from hosts who have not registered with the city. The company says that once the city’s verification system is fully up and running, no short-term listing will be allowed on its site without a registration number.
The sources for this piece include an article in TheGuardian.