The Real Rent Reform Coalition-- a group of affordable housing advocates, labor unions and tenant associations-- is opposing a pair of bills in the state Legislature that would loosen restrictions on New Yorkers who use Airbnb.com to rent out their apartments, the Daily News reports. Most recently, the Affordability for All Coalition, with Eric Schneiderman, filed a court action claiming that the San Francisco-based Airbnb company is fueling an underground industry of "illegal hotels." Both bills seek to exempt those individuals legislators are deeming "good actors," people who actually lease out their apartments as vacation rentals, as well as "individuals that rent out their own units to help make ends meet and earn extra income." However, those two categories basically cover everyone who uses Airbnb, and the coalition is not buying it. They point out that, if passed, the bills will still violate a 2010 law in which New Yorkers are prohibited from renting out entire apartments for less than 29 consecutive days, and renting to tourists at such high prices makes it nearly impossible for the average person to find affordable housing.
