Councilman Jimmy Van Bramer is working on legislation that would penalize New Yorkers who exploit their subsidized apartments for profit on Airbnb, his office announced Thursday.
The announcement follows an LIC Post report on multiple residents at the affordable Hunters Point South development who were renting out their tax-subsidized homes for as much as $500 per night.
Van Bramer’s legislation would establish penalties for renters who “are found guilty of taking advantage of rent stabilized and/or rent controlled units for profit as illegal hotels on sites like Airbnb,” his office said.
The Councilman also wants the City to respond to Airbnb abuse at Hunters Point South and other instances in rent regulated/controlled buildings.
He has requested an investigation into illegal hotels in rent regulated and rent stabilized buildings from the Mayor’s Office of Special Enforcement, as well as hearings at the City Council’s Committee on Housing and Buildings specifically focused on the proliferation of Airbnb in these buildings.
State law already prohibits tenants in apartment buildings with three or more units from renting out to transient visitors for less than 30 days. City law sets fines of $1,600 and up for illegal hotels in residential apartments; Councilwoman Helen Rosenthal has introduced legislation to increase these penalties.
25 comments:
If you're getting a subsidy you shouldn't be able to game the system. But should an owner of a two family house be restricted? Thoughts?
What did they think was going to happen? People who actually applied for these apartments to actually live in them?
Increase penalties, how about first enforcing the damn law, plus removing the person from the apartment for not following the lease rules. I mean how long has this subject be talked about, but nothing really is being done. That is the NYC way.
No he's not {Angry} about AirbNb) he's angry about not getting his "Honest Graft" and displaying pouty anger about anything is good for the councilman. He's already started his campaign. This is phony anger, get used to it.
"State law already prohibits tenants in apartment buildings with three or more units from renting out to transient visitors for less than 30 days"
Just what we need another law.
Another useless politician trying to justify his miserable existence. He needs something to put on his mailer and Palm cards next time he runs.
Enforce the existing laws!!!
OBTW
you realize that all that will happen is a switch to another website and/or Craig's list...
If you have ten thousand regulations you destroy all respect for the law. - Winston Churchill
This City talks a mean game on paper but doesn't follow through with enforcement. Joe Moretti is on the money. Enforce what exists already!
We all know someone or have heard of someone, well off financially, who has a rent controlled or rent stabilized apartment in the city because it has been in their family forever.
I agree with enforcing the existing laws.
If any of these subsidized apartments are found to be subletting or airbnb renting they should lose their subsidy.
Wasn't there a silly old woman with a 4 bedroom apartment on Central Park West who was caught doing this? Wasn't she going to have to leave the apartment? Or at least lose the subsidy?
You guys are missing the whole point here, The reason people rent out their place is because basically they cannot afford to pay the rent or they need extra income after paying the rent! , Do you really think people are cashing in on this? Also I believe that most people would rather not have strangers come in their home if they don't need too.
BTW those apts at Hunters Point are not "affordable Housing" they have a few for low income but the majority are for middle income, I have a friend who is paying $3,300 for his apt. He is one of the lucky ones ( better him than me ! ) that won the lottery and if you called that "affordable Housing" you are nuts!!!
Aren't these renters living in the apartment and renting out an extra room?
Or did they win the lottery, and then not even live there at all?
Anonymous Anonymous said...
You guys are missing the whole point here, The reason people rent out their place is because basically they cannot afford to pay the rent or they need extra income after paying the rent! , Do you really think people are cashing in on this? Also I believe that most people would rather not have strangers come in their home if they don't need too.
BTW those apts at Hunters Point are not "affordable Housing" they have a few for low income but the majority are for middle income, I have a friend who is paying $3,300 for his apt. He is one of the lucky ones ( better him than me ! ) that won the lottery and if you called that "affordable Housing" you are nuts!!!
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NO ONE IS MISSING THE POINT. If you cannot afford the rent, move to another city that is more affordable, isn't that what many say on here when it comes to people living in shelters, so the same applies to everyone else. If you are paying $3300 a month, then maybe you need to move into a less expensive apartment and downsize as opposed to renting out rooms, etc.
Penalize??!!! What about hard jail time for felony robbery? For federal income tax evasion?
Joe is correct, if you cannot afford to live here THEN MOVE TO SOMPLACE THAT IS LESS EXPENSIVE, DONT ASK OTHER PEOPLE TO SUBSIDIZE YOU. This is the same bullshit about " affordable" housing. It is nothing but an opportunity for corruption. When someone gets caught renting their affordable apt throw them out of subsidized housing forever and criminally prosecute them if possible. Charge them for the rent subsidies they obtained. And I don't give a shit how disabled they are or how many dependent children or disabled grandmothers they have. They are parasites gaming the system and we the tax payers are getting fucked. And by the way why does this shithead politician need to pass new laws? Isn't this crap already illegal?
Joe is correct, if you cannot afford to live here THEN MOVE TO SOMPLACE THAT IS LESS EXPENSIVE, DONT ASK OTHER PEOPLE TO SUBSIDIZE YOU. This is the same bullshit about " affordable" housing. It is nothing but an opportunity for corruption. When someone gets caught renting their affordable apt throw them out of subsidized housing forever and criminally prosecute them if possible. Charge them for the rent subsidies they obtained. And I don't give a shit how disabled they are or how many dependent children or disabled grandmothers they have. They are parasites gaming the system and we the tax payers are getting fucked. And by the way why does this shithead politician need to pass new laws? Isn't this crap already illegal?
How about we just give people I that can't afford to live here $10,000 and a bus ticket to South Carolina?
That is funny on so many levels. Lets get two things clear.
1. Jimmy is going out fighting for the developers - the whole premise of LIC is so shaky (with women's shelters around the corner and a community without any real amenities that increasingly is getting the charm of a soviet block). He goes nuts if there are any hints of the inevitable decline that start to appear on his watch - remember, this is a boy who is going places! So no AirBaB ANYWHERE in the towers!
2. AirBnB is a community destroying menace that was unthinkable a few years ago: it makes tenants afraid of their own building as it converts a home into a transient barracks. That Jimmy ignores the wholesale displacement of Dutch Kills by developers (the local real estate guys there are pushing AirBnB like there is no tomorrow) tells us that the people he grew up with are now, in his world, thrown under a bus. Rents are going up and throwing people on the street so the real estate types of Jimmy's world can make a cheap buck on people's misery through AirBnB.
Affordable housing what a joke.
Brought to you by high taxes and killing job growth with regulations by the government.
No wonder most can't earn a decent living.
Add to that the astronomic costs of private school (given the garbage the public school spews out) and even hard working middle class people are priced out of the housing market.
Thank you the US/NYS/NYC governments!
r185 said...
If you're getting a subsidy you shouldn't be able to game the system. But should an owner of a two family house be restricted? Thoughts?
**************
If you are the owner of the building then you should be able to use your property for whatever reason you want, including make money to pay for all the "expenses" of owning property in New York City. Whether you can do that in a rent stabilizised or rent controlled building -- I don't know the law on that. However, you can look up the rules for stabilized and controlled rent buildings on line and find out. If it's legal -- why not?
Jimmy Van Bummer will ALWAYS be best described as a twerp, no matter what the issue. Much like Anthony Weiner. Hey Crapper, the more you keep this dweeb out of the news the better it is for society. Enough said.
what do you think has been happening in Sunnyside and Woodside with all of these new buildings thanks to JVB -
if you are renting for 3300 a month you are a sucker and a sap.
Jimmy Van Bummer will ALWAYS be best described as a twerp, no matter what the issue. Much like Anthony Weiner. Hey Crapper, the more you keep this dweeb out of the news the better it is for society. Enough said.\\
WTF are you talking about. When your public SERVANT on our dime is screwing things up you turn the SPOTLIGHTS on the bumbling self promoting fool.
We should reserve a special place on Crappy hightlighting him and all the other brightlights that feel they can ride rough shod over our lives.
I don't care if they're rent stabilized or market rate. I'm not paying rent to live in a hotel. I don't want groups of strangers being given the keys to the front door every week. There have already been several cases of people renting apartments to use for parties, there have been prostitutes claiming to be tourists using airbnb for business. There are a growing number of people who are renting several apartments at a time, solely for use as airbnb rentals.
The other issue, the majority of the money made is untaxed income. I should pay more in city taxes every year so someone else can bring in thousands of dollars of free money? Airbnb should have to require a W9 form from every renter and send them a 1099 at the end of every year.
Who are you to decide what your neighbors do with their apartments?
They have signed a lease, just like I have, which does not allow subletting. That's what decides what my neighbors can do with their apartments. I am really sick of that argument.
@novembee 23. Maybe some of your neighbors should start renting their apartments out as rehearsal spaces for bands at night. After all, who are you to tell them what to do.
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