Airbnb Crackdown Takes Effect In NYC: What It Means For Brooklyn

BROOKLYN, NY — A new crackdown on Airbnb could cause listings — and much-needed income — dry up in several Brooklyn neighborhoods, according to a recent report.

New York City officials Tuesday began enforcing regulations for short-term rentals that require hosts to register those listings with the city.

The rule amounts to what Airbnb representatives called a "de facto short-term rental ban" in the city.

"The city is sending a clear message to millions of potential visitors who will now have fewer accommodation options when they visit New York City: you are not welcome," said Theo Yedinsky, global policy director for Airbnb.

City officials have long maintained that short-term rentals that can be rented for less than 30 days are illegal.

But that position was largely a paper tiger until the City Council last year passed a law that not only required those hosts to register with the city, but also banned Airbnb, VRBO and other platforms from processing the transactions.

The rule change likely will affect short-term rental hotspots on the Upper East Side, Hell's Kitchen, Midtown, Williamsburg and, especially, Bed-Stuy, according to a Gothamist report.

Bed-Stuy is home to more than 15 percent of roughly 10,000 short-term Airbnb listings in New York City, which is the highest concentration of active listings where a guest can rent an entire apartment or house for less than 30 days in the city, Gothamist reported.

Thousands of homes will either have to meet the 30-day minimum or be unable to make money off the site, according to the report.

Airbnb will either deactivate unregistered short-term listings will be deactivated or switch them to monthlong minimum stays starting Tuesday, the report states.

Read the Gothamist report here.