NYC refuses to lift Airbnb restrictions ahead of FIFA World Cup

Big Apple lawmakers are refusing to roll back any restrictions on the home-sharing rentals as Airbnb pushes the new admin to loosen the laws ahead of the World Cup, The Post has learned.

Airbnb has recently made another massive attempt to break back into the New York City market, after burning millions of dollars previously, pushing new legislation to allow home rentals without the owner present, the paper exclusively revealed last week.

But a coalition of council committee chairs has already shut the door on any changes.

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City Council leaders released a letter declining to relax the Big Apple’s restrictions on home-sharing rentals like Airbnb ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup this summer. REUTERS

“We want to make it clear: this is not a proposal that we will entertain,” reads a letter to City Hall, which was obtained by The Post.

“These rules are in place for a reason. Suspending short-term rental regulations, even temporarily, would undermine housing stability at the exact moment when renters are the most vulnerable.”

Freshman Mayor Zohran Mamdani sided with the council, shutting down the proposal.

“The Mamdani Administration is excited to welcome visitors from all over the world to enjoy our city and the World Cup. But we will not do so at the expense of working-class families,” said City Hall spokesperson Cassio Mendoza when asked about the proposal.

Mayor Zohran Mamdani is also not considering making changes to the city’s short-term rental regulations, according to a spokesperson. Luiz C. Ribeiro for NY Post

“The Mayor is not considering any changes to the short-term rental laws that could raise housing costs for New Yorkers.”

Airbnb has been trying to overturn  Local Law 18 since it was passed three years ago, which essentially shut down the home-rental market in the city by strictly regulating any rentals under 30 days.

Rob Solano, Cofounder and Executive Director of Churches United For Fair Housing, railed that Airbnb was “pushing a fantasy” to overturn the 2023 law.

“[T]his administration isn’t for sale,” he said. “Mayor Mamdani and the people of this city are aligned: our housing market is for New Yorkers, not for corporate speculation. With a catastrophic 1.4% vacancy rate, our city is already at the breaking point.”

“The exemption proposal to City Council isn’t from Airbnb,” said a company spokesperson. “HTC, yet again, is espousing bold-faced lies to distract from their role in perpetuating a failed status quo that has done nothing to fix our city’s affordability crisis.”