Former Host Shares Impact of NYC’s Short-Term Rental Ban

09.06.2024 - 14:33 / skift.com / Justin Dawes

When New York City effectively banned most short-term rentals last fall, that meant local homeowners were caught in the crossfire.

They could no longer rent vacant units in their homes, which many had relied on to make ends meet, for short-term stays.

Hundreds of them have been pushing back since then through a group called RHOAR (Restore Homeowner Autonomy and Rights).

Margenett Moore-Roberts, one of those homeowners, shared the group’s viewpoint at the Skift Short-Term Rental Summit last week. 

RHOAR was formed in response to Local Law 18 in New York, which requires short-term rental owners to register as hosts. Among several requirements, registered hosts can only book reservations for fewer than 30 days and they must be present during the stays. Meanwhile, hosts, whether they are registered or not, are permitted to book stays of 30 days or longer.

The group consists of about 550 owners of one- and two-family houses in all five boroughs of the city. 

About 50% of members are people of color, said Moore-Roberts, a diversity consultant who previously built Yahoo’s office of inclusive diversity. Some 30% of RHOAR members earn at or below the city’s median income of $72,000 annually, according to the group.

“We have just a variety of people who have been using short-term rental as a means to supplement their montly income in order to afford their homes,” Moore-Roberts said.

Members have met with the mayor, as well as more than 30 members of the 51-member city council, to share the impact of the law on homeowners, and plea for changes. 

Facing a significant reduction in income, some of the impacted homeowners have had to make difficult decisions. 

“We’re losing this battle, and in some cases, people are losing their homes,” Moore-Roberts said. 

She shared a few examples of the worst cases: an older couple in the Bronx who could lose their 30-year home, a disabled owner who had relied on short-term rental income to pay his mortgage, and another owner who now has to vacate his home in the summer to make rental income.

As required by the new law, Airbnb and other platforms have blocked hosts from listing properties that are not registered with the city. But, there are ways to get around that — like posting on Craigslist or Facebook Marketplace — albeit it is illegal and risky. 

Moore-Roberts regrets that people have to make those decisions particularly because of the safety risks.  

“When you do something as dramatic as the regulations they put in place, people are forced to take desperate measures in order to hold onto their homes,” she said.

Jay Carney of Airbnb spoke later during the summit about how the company is pointing to New York as an example for other municipalities: “This is what you don’t