Airbnb Is Suing New York City Over Short-Term Rental Restrictions: 'Extreme and Oppressive' The home-sharing and vacation rental marketplace is taking action against New York City's Local Law 18 which imposes restrictions on short-term rentals.

By Madeline Garfinkle

Opinions expressed by Entrepreneur contributors are their own.

Ryan DeBerardinis | Shutterstock
Airbnb filed a lawsuit against New York City over the city's Local Law 18 which imposes restrictions on short-term rentals.

Airbnb filed a lawsuit against New York City on Thursday challenging the city's Local Law 18, which requires short-term rental hosts to register with the mayor's office.

In the suit, Airbnb says the law is the "most extreme and oppressive regulatory scheme yet" by requiring prospective hosts to file an application that includes a cluster of personal and private information, such as reporting the number of individuals living in the home who are not related to the applicant and informing the city of any changes.

Airbnb said such requests are "outrageous."

"[Hosts] must tell the government if, for example, a partner in a romantic relationship moves in or out of the house," the lawsuit states.

The suit also notes that the requirement for prospective hosts to comply with New York City's local rental laws is unrealistic as the law is "near impossible" for lay New Yorkers to understand.

Related: Airbnb Announces 'Anti-Party Crackdown' Ahead of Summer

"It is literally impossible to comply with a maze of complex regulations in different legal codes – which experts say no lay person who has not worked as a building code inspector could ever even hope to understand," Karen Dunn, an attorney representing Airbnb, said in a statement to Entrepreneur.

The company added in the lawsuit that it was informed by the mayor's office that, year to date, the city had only approved nine short-term rentals in all of NYC, accounting for merely 0.04% of all active non-hotel listings on Airbnb's platform that had been booked at least once since the start of 2023.

Entrepreneur has reached out to NYC Mayor Eric Adams' office for comment.

Madeline Garfinkle

News Writer

Madeline Garfinkle is a News Writer at Entrepreneur.com. She is a graduate from Syracuse University, and received an MFA from Columbia University. 

Want to be an Entrepreneur Leadership Network contributor? Apply now to join.

Editor's Pick

Business News

JPMorgan Shuts Down Internal Message Board Comments After Employees React to Return-to-Office Mandate

Employees were given the option to leave comments about the RTO mandate with their first and last names on display — and they did not hold back.

Growing a Business

Entrepreneurs Should Invest in Service, Not Just Sales — Here's How to Build a Customer-First Business

A customer-first business strategy that prioritizes exceptional service, empowers employees and leverages feedback can transform satisfied customers into loyal advocates, driving sustainable, long-term growth.

Business Ideas

70 Small Business Ideas to Start in 2025

We put together a list of the best, most profitable small business ideas for entrepreneurs to pursue in 2025.

Business News

'More Soul-Crushing Than Ever': Popular Hiring Platform Finds Around 20% of Its Postings Were 'Ghost Jobs'

Is that job listing too good to be true? There's a one-in-five chance that it might be.

Growing a Business

5 Risk-Taking Lessons From Founders Who Bet Big and Won

Discover the bold moves and strategic risks that catapulted these entrepreneurs to success. Learn how their fearless decisions can inspire your own path to growth.

Business News

'Masculine Energy Is Good': Mark Zuckerberg Tells Joe Rogan He Thinks Companies Need More Aggression

On the most recent episode of "The Joe Rogan Experience," Meta CEO Mark Zuckerberg said corporate culture has become "neutered."