News from the Independent Democratic Conference
STATEMENT FROM IDC LEADER JEFF KLEIN
I applaud Governor Cuomo for prohibiting illegal advertisements from home-sharing sites like Airbnb. This law will protect our communities from transient visitors who all too often wreak havoc on our quiet streets. In my district, one horrible host went as far as to turn his home into a club-like atmosphere with complete with dancers and a stripper pole, alcohol service and DJs spinning loud music into the night. In a recent investigative report issued by the Independent Democratic Conference, we found hosts renting units to 13 or more individuals, dangerously cramming beds into kitchens, laundry rooms and other areas against city and state code. The result is the degradation of neighborhoods and this must end. While this law addresses multi-family units, it does not apply to one- and two-family homes and I intend, along with my colleagues, to address this to preserve the quality-of-life we all expect. Airbnb must also police its own website to root out any host that violates the law, and if they don’t, we will ensure they do by passing legislation that mandates it.
