Dozens of New Yorkers rallied on the steps of Brooklyn Borough Hall this week to support a new bill that would ease the city’s strict short-term rental regulations. The legislation aims to roll back key provisions of Local Law 18, which hosts say has devastated their incomes and made it nearly impossible to rent out their homes on platforms like Airbnb and VRBO.
Local Law 18, which went into effect in September 2023, requires hosts to register short-term rentals with the Mayor’s Office of Special Enforcement (OSE) for any stays under 30 days. The law mandates that hosts be present during a guest’s stay and limits occupancy to two guests — conditions that critics say make it nearly impossible for families to stay together.
