Airbnb Is Illegal in NYC

  |  May 29, 2013

NYC skyline

Bad news for those who hope to make a few bucks renting out their apartments in NYC: Just recently, a judge ruled that Nigel Warren, who rented out his condo to Russian tourists using the popular site Airbnb, was breaking the law by doing so, in violation of the city’s Hotel Law, which states that you can’t rent out your residence for less than 29 days. What does that mean for those of us who rent out our apartments so we can travel upstate for a while? Technically, it’s illegal, but we imagine it would be difficult to enforce this (in other words, just don’t get caught).

So, what’s your take? Are the courts simply making it more difficult for folks to make a few bucks by offering their apartment when they’re not there, or are they in the right because there are no taxes paid on those short term apartment rentals? Tell us what you think in the comments.

About Kandy Harris

Kandy is a writer and musician/music teacher living in Saugerties, NY.

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