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Actually, I would guess catching people that try to Airbnb their rent-stabilized apt (short-term guests). Honestly, I agree it is would be kind of messed up fo

• envy2 8y ago
  It's interesting to see that Airbnb is where the HN mindset goes; it reflects a certain degree of privilege that an entrepreneurial opportunity is the first use case surfaced. Cramming extra family/friends into an apartment who aren't officially on the lease (e.g. the adult son who's lost a job or is on parole, or the parents who can't afford assisted living and are helping raise the grandkids) is actually far more common among low-income, rent-stabilized, and minority tenants. Stopping short-term Airbnb leases isn't particularly controversial; it's going after the medium/long-term unauthorized tenants that really has a disproportionate impact on the underprivileged.
  • scarface74 8y ago
    I wouldn’t have a problem with unauthorized family members staying in an apartment. At least they are known by the tenants. I would have a problem with unknown, unvetted, random AirBnb users coming in an out where the host doesn’t really know anything about the person and won’t be there.
  • someguydave 8y ago
    Rent-stabilized tenants are receiving implict or explict taxpayer subsidies. Why is it unreasonable for restrictions to be placed on their use of the property, when the government places restrictions on the landlord's use of the property (through rent-stabilization laws)?
• crdoconnor 8y ago
  Is it any more messed up than someone having the fortune of inheriting a luxury apartment and doing the exact same thing? It's a lottery either way. Either there's a problem with lotteries in general or a problem with what kind of person is allowed to win them.
• delinka 8y ago
  Wouldn’t this be “unauthorized tenants?”
  • tmp192489 8y ago
    Well, the person I replied to for some reason specifically called out medium/long-term guests, like partners or friends not officially on the lease.
• jen20 8y ago
  What makes you so sure that it's not aiming to catch people who get a rent-stabilised apartment and then long-term sublet it at market rate?
  • tmp192489 8y ago
    I'm not "so sure", though I think gaming the system with a long term sublet would be pretty unlikely because how likely are you to find a legit tenant who would go through you as the landlord instead of the actual landlord for a luxury rental. It's more complicated than actually living in the unit and then staying with a partner or friend if you can rent it out a few days/week when you can command a good rate.
    • lazyasciiart 8y ago
      Criminal histories, eviction records, poor credit....lots of reasons to sublet instead of going to the landlord.
      • tmp192489 8y ago
        ok - i mean it doesn't have to be one or the other. If I were subleasing a place I wouldn't want a tenant who had terrible credit either though. But could be both. I'm just hypothesizing like everyone else.
        • codedokode 8y ago
          If you don't own the property and don't even live there then what's the problem? You can make them pay upfront.
          • tmp192489 8y ago
            haha i mean if we're talking about a situation where someone has bad credit, or a criminal history or whatever how many people with that background will have the funds to pay upfront (or want to)? Having subleased to a legitimate person before, it's already annoying/stressful enough to be a sublandlord since you are taking on a lot of credit risk as is. If I'm in a position where I'm going to shadily rent out my below market apartment I'm not going to rent it out to someone that a normal landlord otherwise wouldn't pick.