by Donald Wood
Last updated: 12:45 AM ET, Thu April 11, 2019
Lawmakers in New York have proposed a new set of rules for regulating home-sharing platforms such as Airbnb and HomeAway.
According to The Associated Press, the new regulations would replace the existing rules initially implemented on short-term rentals in New York City. The new legislation "would ban short-term rentals in affordable housing or rent-stabilized units and limit city residents to listing a single property on home-sharing sites."
Home-sharing platforms would also be required to register the names of hosts with the state and collect occupancy taxes, with unapproved people who rent their homes for fewer than 30 days subject to hefty fines.
Critics have been fighting against short-term rentals reducing the availability of affordable housing, and a hotel worker union in the state has also stood up against the home-sharing platforms.
Airbnb head Chris LeHane said the company supports the new proposal.
The new legislation was sponsored by State Senator James Skoufis and Assemblyman Joseph Lentol, and they look to streamline the rules for all municipalities, as New York City was previously operating under different regulations.
"We stand against this bill and will fight tooth and nail to protect our communities from predatory companies like Airbnb," Jonathan Westin of New York Communities for Change, which advocates for low- and moderate-income NYC residents.
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