Assembly Member Linda B. Rosenthal
The legislation, which is the first of its kind in the Nation, represents New York’s newest tool in its battle with Airbnb. On June 17, 2016, the New York State Legislature passed the first state bill in the Nation to ban online advertisements for illegal apartment rentals. The bill, sponsored by Assembly Member Linda Rosenthal and Senator Andrew Lanza, seeks to protect the at-risk stock of the City’s affordable housing units, which are illegally rented most prominently through Airbnb. For CityLand’s previous coverage on the bill, click here.
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New York State Assembly Housing Committee Chair Keith Wright. Image credit: The Office of Assembly Member Keith Wright
The bill seeks to fill the gap left open by the expiration of 421-a, the decades-old tax exemption program that expired on January 1, 2016. On March 15, 2016, New York State Assembly Housing Committee Chair Keith Wright, who represents Manhattan, introduced Assembly bill A9537, which would provide for new, taxpayer-funded affordable housing subsidies and job training programs. If enacted, the bill would incentivize the construction of affordable housing and affordable senior housing through subsidies, rather than tax exemptions.
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Chart displays the percentage of Airbnb’s listings offering entire homes in New York City before and after Airbnb took down more than 1,000 of them. Image credit: Tom Slee & Murray Cox
Elected officials and affordable housing activists unite at State capitol in support of the legislation. On February 24, 2016, 300 members and supporters of the Share Better coalition rallied at the State capitol in support of Assembly Bill A08704, which would ban most online listings advertising rental apartments for less than thirty days per renter. Bill A08704 was proposed to the State Assembly approximately one month after a report was released to the public that tends to show Airbnb released its site data to the public only after purging its site of more than 1,000 illegal temporary rental listings. The rally was held on the same day Airbnb issued a letter to the State legislature to reassure Assembly Members and Senators of the company’s commitment to working with the City in creating fair rules for operating the home-sharing network.
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The New York State Capitol building in Albany. Image credit: Matt H. Wade
Deal is retroactive to the programs’ expiration on June 15. On June 25, 2015 the New York State Legislature passed a bill extending rent-regulation protections for New York City. The laws had expired on June 15, and the Legislature temporarily extended its session to allow time for working on a longer-term solution. On March 11, the New York City Council passed an extension of the City’s rent-stabilization laws, as well as a package of resolutions calling for reform of rent-increase policies of regulated apartments, a total repeal of vacancy decontrol, and more.
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The New York State Capitol building in Albany. Image credit: Matt H. Wade
Framework of extension deal includes rent regulation, 421-a. On June 23, 2015 Governor Andrew Cuomo, joined by Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie and Senate Majority Leader John Flanagan, announced the framework of a deal on extending rent-regulation protections for New York City. The laws expired on June 15, and the Legislature temporarily extended its session until June 23 to allow time for working on a longer-term solution.
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