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uptowngirl
uptowngirl

New Law bans subletting in NYC

We in NYC are very familiar with the practice of subletting an apartment to earn a few bucks while we are away from the city. Well these vacation rentals have just been disallowed by a new NYC law which aims to stamp out illegal hotels. I have not ever taken a sublet in the city but have friends who regularly book stays on sublet.com or on Craigslist when they come to the city on business or for a vacation..looks like that's all set to change
http://www.dnainfo.com/20100802/manhattan/shortterm-sublets-new-york-banned-under-new-law
Question asked via StreetAdvisor The opinions expressed here are those of the individual and not those of Douglas Elliman.
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Uraniumfish
Uraniumfish 2yrs+
Do you think it will pass? I actually think this is a positive thing. A lot of individuals who sublet would probably continue to do so, as long as there are not too many complaints, but it stops the greedy landlords from pursuing this practice on a larger scale.
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uptowngirl
uptowngirl 2yrs+
@Uraniumfish I think it will pass.. but it will affect tourists for not everyone can afford the pricey hotel rooms in the city. In fact I wish NYC had a system like that exists in London and other cities wherein you can hire an appartment legitimately for the summer/a week/month and its not too prohibitively expensive. Before I married my husband and acquired a home in London my vacations to London were always booked at these kind of apartments which kind of like a vacation rental/a bed and breakfast that are managed by property management companies.
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ajadedidealist
ajadedidealist 2yrs+
I don't think it will actually be enforced in NYC. With so many subletters (most of whom sublet against landlords policies) it would be nigh-impossible to crack down on them!
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DBlack
DBlack 2yrs+
I agree, I doubt it will really hurt tourists that much, since so many private individuals who sublet won't get caught. They just can't be overt about it and put up big websites advertising their sublets. People will find a way.
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BroadwayBK
BroadwayBK 2yrs+
Yeah, I think it would be difficult to enforce this unless your neighbors started complaining about your subletting habits.

And I have to say, I sometimes peruse the vacation rentals on Craig's list, and they are not all that affordable unless you are travelling with a substantial group of people.
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hhusted
hhusted 2yrs+
@Everybody: I agree. Let this city try and put such a law into force. They will have a hard time doing it.
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NeverSleeps
NeverSleeps 2yrs+
Well. It might be easier to police the prospective subletters than one might think - just shoot them an email when the post a Craig's ad!
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DBlack
DBlack 2yrs+
@NeverSleeps Yeah, but who has the time? You would think that officials have better things to think about than troll the craigslist ads daily?
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NeverSleeps
NeverSleeps 2yrs+
@DBlack Yeah, you would think. It honestly sounds like something this city can't even afford to be bothered with.
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ajadedidealist
ajadedidealist 2yrs+
Indeed, @neversleeps! I for one find homestays and apartment sublets to be a far better deal than hotels, and one that encourages me to travel more - if other people feel that way, it could be a good thing for the city
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JenMac
JenMac 2yrs+
I guess I should stop telling everyone that I'm subletting my friend's apartment for the next year, then. . . .oops.
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hhusted
hhusted 2yrs+
@JenMac: Keep it quiet. Do you want everyone to know. :)
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DBlack
DBlack 2yrs+
@JenMac No, you're fine. I think the law only applies to short term sublets of less than a month.
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uptowngirl
uptowngirl 2yrs+
@ajadedidealist Tend to agree with you on this one, apartment sublets are definitely a relatively inexpensive way to experience a city.
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NeverSleeps
NeverSleeps 2yrs+
Ohhhh - they're trying to stop people from profiting on vacation rentals! I thought that was already illegal?
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uptowngirl
uptowngirl 2yrs+
@NeverSleeps I think they are actually going to go after the illegal hotels than actual individual apartments.
Have a look at this post from Frommers.com quite informative...
http://www.frommers.com/articles/6912.html
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hhusted
hhusted 2yrs+
@Uptowngirl: It doesn't matter who they go after, the point is that they are prevented from doing so. I have a feeling that by then, the law might be repealed.
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uptowngirl
uptowngirl 2yrs+
@hhusted as they say let's watch this space
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BroadwayBK
BroadwayBK 2yrs+
They have some kind of laws against holiday subletting in the Miami area. I'm actually not sure of the details, but I do know that people have been kicked out of their Craig's list holiday sublet apartments for reasons of illegal subletting. Therefore, it's not an impossible law to enforce at least some of the time.
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hhusted
hhusted 2yrs+
@Uptowngirl: Yeah, let's watch and see. I'm curious to know what happens.
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hhusted
hhusted 2yrs+
@Ajadedidealist: Sometimes it is necessary to sublet, especially if you are only going to be gone for a short time and don't want to lose your apartment.
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BroadwayBK
BroadwayBK 2yrs+
@ajadedidealist What is the best way to go about subletting in Paris? or in Vienna? Did you feel like a lot of people use Craig's?
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uptowngirl
uptowngirl 2yrs+
@BroadwayBK a friend of mine last year found a sublet for her son in Paris which worked out to 1000 Euros for a month in summer..i.e.June I think she used Vacation Rentals by Owner not Craig's
http://www.vrbo.com/vacation-rentals/europe/france/ile-de-france/paris
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Uraniumfish
Uraniumfish 2yrs+
I'd still try Craigslist first because you're more likely to find private people renting out their places, and that can be a lot cheaper.
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uptowngirl
uptowngirl 2yrs+
@Everyone have a look at this report that states that Landlords are now hiring private investigators to root out illegal tenants and gain back rent controlled apartments.

http://www.nytimes.com/2010/08/31/nyregion/31appraisal.html?nl=nyregion&emc=ura1
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Uraniumfish
Uraniumfish 2yrs+
Yeesh, only in New York City, folks!
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hhusted
hhusted 2yrs+
Uptowngirl: Does that mean anyone who is illegal, meaning someone living there who is not on the lease?
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ajadedidealist
ajadedidealist 2yrs+
@uptowngirl - it makes economic sense I guess, although it's a bit obsessive. Still, I understand it. If I had a rent-controlled NYC apartment, I wouldn't be trying to make a buck on it - rather, I'd be living in it. People who try to use their rent-controlled apartments for profit are gaming the system unfairly.
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uptowngirl
uptowngirl 2yrs+
@hhusted yes that's what it means
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Uraniumfish
Uraniumfish 2yrs+
@uptowngirl Yikes! How awful, I can't even imagine.
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uptowngirl
uptowngirl 2yrs+
@Uraniumfish yes its truly inhuman
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