The legal situation: Local Law 18
In September 2023, New York City implemented Local Law 18, which effectively ended most Airbnb-style short-term rentals in the city. The law requires hosts to register with the city and to be physically present during any guest stay — meaning that renting an entire apartment while you're away (the most common Airbnb use case) is illegal in New York City unless you have a specific permit.
The practical effect: the number of available short-term rental listings in New York City dropped dramatically after the law took effect. Many properties that appear on Airbnb or similar platforms from New York City addresses are operating without proper registration.
What this means for you as a visitor
- Entire-apartment rentals of the kind common in other cities are largely unavailable through the major platforms in NYC, or are operating in a legally grey area.
- Listings that do appear at attractive prices may be unregistered, which creates risk for the guest — the booking could be cancelled, or the host could face enforcement action during your stay.
- The legitimate short-term rental options that remain are primarily hosted stays (where the host is present) or listings in buildings specifically licensed for it.
What to do instead
For most visitors to New York City, hotels are the practical accommodation option. The hotel market is large enough to offer options across every price point and neighbourhood — see our hotels directory and best area to stay guides. For longer stays (30 days or more), furnished apartment rentals operate under different rules and are a legitimate option — 30-day minimum rentals are not subject to the same restrictions as short-term ones.