With the announcement that popular vacation rental site Airbnb has been ruled illegal in the state of New York, it looks like NYC has just become The City That Never Sleeps Illegally. The ruling was catalyzed by an incident in which NYC property host Nigel Warren was charged in violation of the New York Hotel Law. The law states that it is illegal to rent out a private property with the intention of an occupancy fewer than 30 days. In addition, many of the properties on Airbnb don’t live up to the expected safety code that all hotels do.  

The law does more than protect the state’s hotel industry, as it also has its residents’ well-being in mind. Assembly member Richard Gottfried adds: “It can be a real nightmare when the apartment next door is occupied by one transient after another. You have strangers coming and going at all hours, with noise, disruption and real safety concerns. For years, my office has received countless complaints from tenants living in residential buildings that are being used as hotels.”

However, those with Big City Dreams and an Airbnb booking don’t necessarily have to worry. Despite the ruling, CNET tells us “this doesn’t necessarily mean New York will crack down on all Airbnb hosts. The city enforces this regulation [only] when a complaint is filed.”

[via CNET]

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Jeremy Schipper is an intern at Toronto Standard. You can follow him on Twitter at @jeromeoschipps.