OpEd by C. Stevens – Brooklyn 2 Family Homeowner
Small NYC Homeowners trying to make ends meet are being punished by New York City Lawmakers while Developers and Hotel Lobbyists Are Allowed To Run Amok
September 5, 2023, just one day after Labor Day, is doomsday for New York City’s 1 and 2 family homeowners. Small homeowners are no longer allowed to rent out their apartments for short term rentals, which they use to make ends meet in one of the most expensive cities in the world. New York City will begin enforcing a law that was enacted and passed by the City Council in 2021. The law was poorly written and most of the Council Members and the mayor say the law was intended to stop large building owners and corporations from acting as a sort of hotel by providing short term rental apartments to tourists traveling to New York City. However, the law includes 1 and 2 family homeowners who live in their homes. The politicians said 1 and 2 family homeowners were supposed to be spared from this law. That was another lie by politicians. As Public Advocate Jumaane Williams said in an interview, “We were clear our intent is not to go after one- and two-family homeowners… But the administration looks like they’ve opened a can of wild, wild west whoop-ass on them.”
Current City Council Members (see the list below) and Mayor Eric Adams had an opportunity to pause the enforcement until the law was amended to exempt 1 and 2 family homeowners from the poorly written legislation. Instead, the Mayor and Council Members sat by and did nothing, which means the enforcement will begin September 5th, the day after Labor Day. Enforcement means homeowners who provide short term rentals in their 2 family homes will face fines of up to $5,000. Homeowners can’t make ends meet, but they will be hit with yet another huge New York City fine, caused directly by politicians.
Here are the original City Council Members who voted for this poorly written law that has caused the doomsday for homeowners. Inna Vernikov, Kalman Yeger, David Carr, Joseph C. Borelli and Eric A. Ulrich are the only members to vote NO to this insane law.
Seniors and retirees depend on the short-term rental income to make ends meet and to pay their mortgage and taxes, which continues to increase, while developers continue to get tax breaks from lawmakers. As soon as hard-working folks in New York City figure out a way to make ends meet, it seems lawmakers create and enforce laws to keep them back.
The hotel lobbyists and the politicians are pushing this insane narrative that the city needs these apartments for the city housing stock. There are tons of brand-new buildings being built throughout New York City, with tens of thousands of available apartments. Why would the city hurt small homeowners who are simply trying to make ends meet. The spare apartment in their 2-family home has no impact on housing stock in New York City. That is simply a talking point for hotel lobbyists and developers, and politicians are carrying their message in return for political contributions and endorsements.
Small homeowners should be exempt from the regulations and the city should instead go after investors, developers and corporations who are making a full fledge business out of short-term rentals. It’s about profit for them, but for those of us who struggle to keep our homes, this is a way to help us continue to keep our homes. These laws are a direct hit on homeowners. These same politicians call on us every year when they are running for office, only to stab us in the back by creating laws that go against our interest. I don’t trust politicians and I definitely don’t trust the ones who are in office and not doing anything to amend this law. One- and two-family homeowners should absolutely be able to rent the extra apartment in the house where the homeowner lives. There’s no reason for one- and two-family homeowners to have been included in this law in the first place.
According to reports, more than four-fifths of NYC hosts on Airbnb have just one listing to their name, according to data from Inside Airbnb, while the handful of hosts with multiple properties manage nearly half of all Airbnb listings in the city. If those are the people the city is trying to go after then why not exempt one- and two-family homeowners from the law and go after those corporations.
I know the Council Members and Mayor would have to actually read the legislation, but dammit that’s their job. They just have to read, have common sense, and talk to homeowners about their issues instead of just calling asking for our vote. I will not support anyone who takes money from hotel lobbyists or developers and that’s something I’m telling other homeowners to look at. We have to put real pressure on politicians to support our issues, which are simple. I just want the ability to use my home to help me make ends meet. That’s all we’re asking for. If they can continue to give developers tax breaks and support hotel lobbyists, then there’s no reason why they cannot quickly amend this law. We need to be completely exempt from these insane laws, like Local 18.
This is just one law that the Council Members screwed up. What’s scary is all the other laws they are screwing up. This is probably why there is so much homelessness, and why so many hotels are now shelters. When I saw all these sleazy hotels opening up throughout Brooklyn, I knew something terrible was happening. I knew there were some laws that these politicians were trying to sneak in.
We are in the day where the only way to get an affordable apartment is through a lottery. How insane is that? Developers and hotel lobbyists have taken over the housing stock in NYC, but the politicians want you to believe that small homeowners are the problem. There are small cities being built in Brooklyn, Queens, Bronx, Manhattan, and Staten Island. The “small cities” are luxury high rise developments with multiple buildings with hundreds of thousands of apartments, of which many remain empty. Why don’t they turn the sleazy hotels into permanent housing? I guess that makes too much sense and the hotel lobbyists won’t endorse you or contribute to your political campaigns.
These same politicians give developers tax breaks but then turn around and tax New Yorkers to pay for it. This is unsustainable and the New York City politicians are to blame, plain and simple. They are selling New Yorkers out. They are out there partying with you at parades and community events, but they are sticking the knife in our back by creating laws that hurt us while providing tax breaks to developers, increasing our taxes, increasing transit fares, parking fees, registration fees, fines, and other fees. They are getting ready to place more fines on us through congestion pricing. It never ends. But when a homeowner wants to rent out their apartment in their own home for short term rentals, these same politicians create laws to make sure you do not get ahead.
Politicians try to blame the Office of Special Enforcement (OSE) for enforcing the laws that the politicians created themselves. It’s more insanity. Politicians create a law that hurts us and then say hey we’ll talk to OSE to see what they can do about it. Dammit you created the law. OSE is enforcing a law that you created. They really think New Yorkers are stupid. These politicians in particular at this very moment are the ones that are hurting New Yorkers. Vote for anyone other than the people on this list. They are making our lives harder every day, whether you are a homeowner or a long time New Yorker looking for an affordable apartment. NYC is going to be for the very rich or the very poor. We are witnessing it right in front of our very eyes. They must amend this law immediately, and they need to look at other laws that are hurting New Yorkers who are just trying to make ends meet. They need to start with laws that are supported by developers and hotel lobbyists. Those are the laws that the politicians need to focus on.
These are the Council Members who have the ability to immediately amend the law, but so far have sat on their hands while the hammer is being put down on homeowners. Let’s spread the word that the members are not to be trusted by homeowners unless they amend this insane law.
Christopher Marte
Carlina Rivera
Erik Bottcher
Keith Powers
Julie Menin
Gale A. Brewer
Shaun Abreu
Diana Ayala
Kristin Richardson Jordan
Carmen De La Rosa
Eric Dinowitz
Kevin C. Riley
Marjorie Velázquez
Pierina Ana Sanchez
Oswald Feliz
Althea Stevens
Rafael Salamanca Jr.
Amanda Farías
Vickie Paladino
Sandra Ung
Francisco Moya
Tiffany Cabán
Linda Lee
James F. Gennaro
Shekar Krishnan
Julie Won
Nantasha Williams
Adrienne E. Adams
Lynn Schulman
Robert F. Holden
Selvena N. Brooks-Powers
Joann Ariola
Lincoln Restler
Jennifer Gutiérrez
Crystal Hudson
Chi Ossé
Sandy Nurse
Alexa Avilés
Shahana Hanif
Rita Joseph
Darlene Mealy
Charles Barron
Justin Brannan
Kalman Yeger – VOTED NO to the Law
Farah N. Louis
Mercedes Narcisse
Ari Kagan
Inna Vernikov – VOTED NO to the Law
Kamillah Hanks
David Carr – VOTED NO to the Law
Joseph C. Borelli
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You wrote: “ They really think New Yorkers are stupid.”
New Yorkers most certainly ARE the stupidest of the stupid because GHEY voted this mongrel mayor into office as well as these miscreant council members.
Ergo they need to shut up and deal with the consequences of STUPID decisions.
apparently these guys feel safe in their positions and until they feel different NOTHING WILL CHANGE! its too bad they dont have concern for the general welfare of the surrounding communities. but what can I tell you this behavior seems normal.
What a shame they know in this city never sleeps, no one is paying attention to what is going on right in front of us, we don’t know where to go to address situations, we don’t know when they are implementing or trying to create rules and laws that will affect us or how to go about dealing with these things how to fight back and be heard,
Unbelievable that this has passed. Small homeowners are allegedly to blame for the affordable housing crisis meanwhile big developers are building unaffordable, for most, housing all over the city. Whilst benefiting from tax breaks. It merely illustrates who these politicians work for.
That’s why I sold my house last week and am leaving tomorrow. I had enough of Mayor Adams politics.
Fired for not taking a vaccine after already having a bad case of Covid. Nobody stood up against this and they knew the truth. Goodbye NY.
It’s never been legal for 1- & 2-family homeowners to STR their homes.
See the Housing Maintenance Code, Building Code, Zoning Regulations.
Just because C. Stevens has, apparently, been breaking the law for years does not mean it’s okay-dookey for them to continue breaking the law.
A’rb’b made it easy for folks to break the law.
Now that illegal hole is plugged.
Sorry you can’t get away w/ it any more.
Tom Cayler, Coalition Against Illegal Hotels
It should be legal with all the increases in taxes, fines, cost of living, etc.. Laws change because times change. NYC is the most expensive city in the world. People should be able to rent out their homes to make ends meet. NYC IS EXPENSIVE!!! As people get older they need the extra money to maintain their homes. Otherwise black people will not own homes and we continue the vicious cycle of lack of generational wealth for black families. This is the new redlining. Let’s call it what it is. Sad part is that black politicians are at the helm. And most of them don’t even own houses, so they’re ok with other black people not owning homes. It’s sad.
You are wrong. It was always legal for 1-2 family home owners to STR until the building codes were silently changed in 2010 with no notice or vote.
1-2 family homes are private residences and not restricted by the state MDL.
This is what we are upset about. So stop your misinformation please
I guess the administration said that if you want to rent out space, do it long term… Which I somewhat understand… But with long term rentals it’s impossible to get people out in NYC. That’s another issue how do you get them out to reclaim your space?
I guess the administration said that if you want to rent out space, do it long term… Which I somewhat understand… But with long term rentals it’s impossible to get people out in NYC. That’s another issue how do you get them out to reclaim your space?
They just keep making all 5 boroughs more and more unaffordable! That’s one of the reasons I won’t return to Queens.
I’ve now been to court 10 times trying to evict a non paying tenant. She hasn’t paid rent since September 2021. It has been very difficult covering my expenses while suffering a major loss of income caused by this repeat offender. I have proof that her and her mother have done this before. The courts have a list of people who have been evicted. That list is now meaningless because in 2019 a law was passed stating that a landlord cannot ask if you’ve been evicted before in an effort to make an educated decision about letting a professional squatter into their home. How does this make sense? Landlords are literally handcuffed and left defenseless against squatters in this city.
I finally got my judgement for eviction for the mother and daughter. I also included their three other family members who come and go often. The judge did not grant me an eviction order for them. So the marshals are now unable to carry out the eviction properly because they don’t have the right to evict anyone not included in the court order. So in essence the judgement I have is meaningless because if they want to stay I still won’t have the legal right to lock them out andxreclaim my apartment. Why? How does this make sense? Ten court appearances then this is thecresult! Now I’m filing an inquest in the hopes that the judge will finally grant me the right to reclaim my home. On top of that he did not grant me the right to garnish their wages. He also did not grant me repayment of my lawyers fees. What is going on in this city? I’m an honorably discharged veteran. I’m a current FDNY Firefighter of 15 years. I’m a dedicated father of two. I do not break the law and I offer help to people in and out of uniform. I live as a decent person and follow the rules. What is my incentive to continue investing or even living in this city when it literally has turned its back to me? The tenant actually physically attacked me then blocked my front door so I could not enter my home. When I called the police the sergeant told me if he has to come back here “one of us is going to jail!” One of us?! So the legal system is egregiously slow. The police haven’t been any help. The tenants are now on vacation yet again with the money they are supposed to be paying me for use of my home. The lease was up since February 2022.
I started Airbnb in November in my one bedroom apartment. I own a three family house in Brooklyn. That has helped me cover my expenses during this difficult time. Now on top of everything else the city has passed this law to curtail and basically cripple my ability to provide Short Term Rentals which is covered by Airbnb protection against squatters. So I am now forced to rent again and face the very same problem or I can do 30 day or more rentals and also face the same squatter problem because there is no law that I’m aware of to protect me of someone else decides to do this to me again. How is this fair or just? It’s common sense. Landlords like me are suffering and being forced to sell their homes. This is not a new problem. How has it been allowed to continue for this long in NYC?! Who other than professional con artists benefit from this? My goal was to pass this income generating home to my children to help give them financial support after I’m gone. Now even that is in jeopardy. I don’t ask this city for anything and I certainly give back much more than I take. Now that I need help resolving a problem this is how I’m treated. No sense of urgency, no compassion, no common sense. Just bureaucracy, disregard, and delays. It’s a horrible thing to experience for anyone and I know quite a few. How much longer can this be allowed to continue? Why is the government of NYC seemingly incentivizing criminality while simultaneously deterring middle class growth? What is my incentive to stay here or invest here knowing how insanely corrupt the rules are? I am willing to do whatever we can to fix this insanity and make more fair laws that help people like myself earn a decent income to supplement our budgets in this increasingly expensive city. I’m not looking to become a billionaire using my home but I’m also not willing to suffer through indignity, neglect, and harassment because I’ve worked hard enough to achieve my small piece of the American dream. My heart goes out to everyone suffering through this terrible burden. Maybe if we come together we can fond a way to force the politicians to do the right and fair thing in spite of their own crooked nature. Just maybe.