This screen shot provided by Airbnb from their website shows a typical search for listings of rooms to rent, in this case in Queens, New York. Tourists are increasingly opting to rent space in a stranger’s house through sites like Airbnb to avoid staying in a pricey hotel, but officials say the practice is often illegal.Each night, people in apartments all over New York City are cleaning up, putting out fresh towels and clearing out – to rent their private space to strangers from around the world.
Thousands of city residents are using websites such as Airbnb.com to list apartments or rooms for as little as $35 a night, a phenomenon officials say is illegal in many cases, undercuts the hotel industry, avoids taxes and threatens apartment building safety.
New York’s top prosecutor is demanding that Airbnb turn over data on city dwellers who have listed on the site as part of an investigation into whether residents are breaking a state law barring sublets for fewer than 30 days if occupants are not present.
But many residents in the nation’s most expensive city say they’re providing a service that’s valuable to them and their guests. Subletting for nights at a time is often the only way they can afford to pay rents that average $3,000 a month and can top $6,000 in the most desirable areas.
“I use Airbnb to supplement my income, and it’s allowed me to go back to school,” says Mishelle Farer, a 32-year-old former U.S. Army sergeant who rents her second bedroom in Brooklyn’s artsy Williamsburg neighborhood through Airbnb for $60 to $70 a night, depending on the season.