On November 20, the New York City Council’s Housing and Buildings Committee held a public hearing on several housing-related proposals, with the most prominent being Intro. 948 legislation that relaxes restrictions on short-term rentals by homeowners in New York. Many owners of one and two-family homes came to City Hall to urge the committee to pass this bill. However, this proposal faced strong opposition from the Hotel Trades Council (HTC) and many tenant organizations.
Introduced by Council Member Mercedes Narcisse in June of last year, the bill aims to increase the maximum number of temporary occupants allowed in short-term rentals in one and two-family private residences to 4 people (excluding children under 18), provided that the property owner has registered the property for “short-term rental use.” Additionally, the legislation permits hosts to receive guests without being present and allows permanent residents to lock their private spaces.
Many Chinese residents own properties in the area. A woman named Ms. Cheng from Brooklyn attended a rally organized by the New York Homeowners Association (NYHOA) on the steps of City Hall to support the passage of the Intro. 948 bill.
“I am here to support this bill because it allows homeowners like us to short-term rent while we are on vacation,” she said. “Moreover, it increases the number of guests allowed from 2 to 4.”
Another Chinese homeowner from Flushing later spoke at the public hearing, sharing the story of her and her mother’s experience with short-term rentals.
“My mother worked hard to provide us with a space of our own in this big city… We host guests not to make money but as our lifeline to establish roots in our beloved community,” she said. Furthermore, these short-term rentals allow visitors who cannot afford big hotels to “see the real New York”, with nurses on travel assignments, grandparents visiting newborns, and financially struggling students repeatedly expressing gratitude for showing them a warm, safe, and authentic side of New York.
While many property owners are Chinese, it seems that there are more Chinese opponents. Bernard Chow, a former Republican candidate for city council, sided with the landlords. He argued, “This proposal will drive up rents since short-term rental rates are 4 to 5 times higher than regular rents, making it difficult for tenants to find housing. Secondly, it will attract many investors to buy properties and use platforms like Airbnb for short-term rentals, making it even harder for true New Yorkers to afford homes.”
Paige Havener, a resident from Bay Ridge, stated that she believes “New Yorkers should have priority over tourists.” She expressed concerns about the serious housing crisis and the potential conversion of rental units into short-term rentals, emphasizing that these rentals should be long-term and available for New York City residents first.
Several members of New York hotel workers’ unions also attended the rally to offer testimony opposing the proposal.
Chairman of the New York Homeowners Association, Tony Lindsay, clarified some misconceptions about the legislation during the gathering.
Lindsay explained that the Intro. 948 bill does not aim to “legalize commercial short-term rentals” as it “only applies to natural persons residing in the property.” Therefore, it does not cater to “big corporations and investors.” Additionally, the bill only applies to one and two-family residences, not multi-family dwellings.
“We must remember that short-term rentals existed in New York before Airbnb, so we should not frame this as a problem between Airbnb and hotel unions,” Lindsay stated. “Concerns about these properties becoming Airbnb rentals are unfounded as there are already corresponding regulatory mechanisms in place. Our homes, our rights!”
The Intro. 948 legislation is currently in the council committee hearing stage, and if it receives approval at the committee level, it will be brought to a full vote in the City Council.