Statement on Airbnb Subpoena Agreement

Sen. Krueger issued the following statement on the agreement between the New York Attorney General and Airbnb announced earlier today.

"This was always very simple: New York State and New York City have laws governing housing and land use in order to protect residents' safety and quality of life, as well as to preserve our extraordinarily limited supply of affordable homes.

"Many landlords, third parties, and individuals have used Airbnb and other similar websites as a grey market for illegal rentals that don't comply with multiple state and city laws and which threaten our residential housing stock. By securing access to this data, the Attorney General has today laid the first brick in the road to better enforcing the law, preserving residential housing, and protecting residents' quality of life.

"Make no mistake: this fight isn't over. Despite today's settlement, Airbnb remains a scofflaw company whose business model is at odds not just with multiple New York laws, but with the basics of the New York City real estate market. Its leaders believe they can pick and choose which laws they follow and which they ignore. Worse still, they continue to take no responsibility for the Airbnb hosts who are being evicted from their homes, not because of the law, but simply because nearly every lease, set of co-op bylaws, or condo agreement in New York City prohibits these kinds of short-term sublets.

"There is no doubt in my mind that while the Attorney General's staff analyze this data, Airbnb will continue to lobby for changes in the law that benefit unscrupulous illegal hotel operators and hurt the everyday New Yorkers that Airbnb keeps claiming they're trying to help. I will continue working with my colleagues in both houses of the legislature to stop them."

Sen. Krueger represents the 28th Senate District, which includes Manhattan’s Upper East Side and East Midtown communities. A veteran member of the New York State Senate’s Democratic Conference, she serves as ranking Democratic member on the Senate Finance Committee.

Sen. Krueger was the Senate sponsor of Chapter 225 of the Laws of 2010, the "Illegal Hotel Law," which made technical changes to the Multiple Dwelling Law and the New York City Administrative Code to allow city agencies to pursue enforcement action against illegal short-term rentals.