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New Yorkers love rules—until those rules start messing with their side hustle.
A new poll commissioned by the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, first shared with amNewYork, finds that 78-percent of NYC residents think the city’s ban on short-term rentals like Airbnb should be revisited or are open to changing it, with a growing number citing affordability and flexibility as top concerns. The survey, which canvassed 503 adults across the five boroughs, paints a picture of a city fed up with laws that don’t reflect economic reality.
Passed in 2023, Local Law 18 all but outlawed short-term rentals unless the host was physically present, essentially killing the market for private apartment Airbnbs. City officials say the law is necessary to protect long-term housing stock, but New Yorkers aren’t so sure. A whopping 82-percent say the law hasn’t made housing more affordable, while 95-percent agree that residents need “flexible ways” to make ends meet.
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“Our poll data shows that residents are demanding practical solutions that look to build more housing to scale,” said Randy Peers, president and CEO of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce. “New Yorkers also recognize that significantly restricting homeowners from activating their space for short-term rentals is not a solution to the growing problem, and in fact, hurts the local economy more than it helps.”
Those outer boroughs—where hotel options are slim and tourists once leaned on Airbnb—are particularly concerned. More than 75-percent of residents say fewer visitors to those neighborhoods is a valid reason to revisit the law, with support highest in the Bronx and Staten Island.
Meanwhile, reform is already on the table. A City Council bill introduced by Councilmember Farrah Louis and backed by Speaker Adrienne Adams would loosen some of Local Law 18’s strictest rules, like the host-present requirement. Airbnb’s PAC, Affordable New York, has thrown its weight behind the measure, pouring more than $1.1 million into campaigns for the bill’s co-sponsors.
Not everyone is on board. “Tenants not Tourists,” a coalition of housing and civil rights groups, argues that more Airbnb rentals mean fewer homes. Mayoral frontrunner Zohran Mamdani has echoed that view, saying New York can’t spare any housing while vacancy rates remain low.
Still, with 76-percent supporting the idea of renting out their home while away and 85-percent saying families should be allowed to stay together in STRs, the momentum to rethink the law is building fast.
Whether the city listens—or keeps cracking down—remains to be seen.