Three Airbnb hosts are suing New York City, claiming registration requirements are onerous and unfair

new york — Airbnb Challenging the Big Apple.

The company, along with three local hosts, just filed a lawsuit against the city to ease restrictions on short-term rentals.

Rupi Arora lived in her forest hills Hometown for the first time in 20 years. A few years before her, she began renting out her own spare bedroom on Airbnb.

“I needed extra income, and since I quit my job, I started feeling lonely,” Arora said.

She is now an Airbnb host, and Airbnb itself is suing. new york city Exceeding new limits for short-term rentals.

Attorney Debbie Greenberger is representing the host.

“Basically, this is a de facto ban on short-term rentals in New York, which we are concerned about,” Greenberger said.

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The law, which the city plans to take effect next month, requires short-term rental hosts to register with the city.

Hosts must remain at home throughout their stay and are not allowed to have locked doors inside their homes.

“This actually creates a series of red tapes that make even legal hosting probably not feasible,” Greenberger said.

City Councilman Justin Brannan, who sponsored the bill, which is now law, called the lawsuit ludicrous.

“We are in the midst of a housing crisis, with thousands of homes being taken offline and held hostage by Airbnb as New Yorkers struggle to find housing, making housing inventory affordable. The lack of pricing is clearly affected,” Brannan said.

Brannan says the problem isn’t single-mother hosts like Arora. It is the landlord who rents out several apartments.

“This is not about someone renting a spare bedroom to help pay their mortgage. ‘, said Mr Brannan.

When asked what she hopes to achieve with the lawsuit, Arora said, “They see this lawsuit and they don’t want to go after people who have only one house or have little income. I say, go after the people who own eight houses,” he said. 10 properties. “

City Hall is considering a lawsuit. A spokesperson told CBS2: “The current administration is committed to keeping our residents safe and liveable in our communities, maintaining a permanent housing stock, and ensuring that the hospitality industry continues to recover and thrive. ‘ said.