City Council unlikely to consider bill that’d permit more Airbnb rentals in NYC

A City Council bill that would allow more New Yorkers to open their homes to short-term rentals appears effectively dead as the chamber is not expected to consider the measure Thursday at its last meeting of the year, sources told the Daily News.

The decision not to move forward with the bill would come after a grueling — and costly — lobbying fight. It would also mark the end of a battle between outgoing Council President Adrienne Adams, a tacit supporter of the bill, on one side and Julie Menin, the new president who did not support the bill, on the other, sources familiar with the matter told The News.

Airbnb, which spent more than $1 million this year lobbying to pass the bill, insisted Wednesday night that the company would continue implementing the legislation in 2026, even though its prospects could be bleak under Menen.

“We are not giving up the fight for homeowners and their right to earn additional income,” an Airbnb spokesperson said. “We are not giving up the fight for a more affordable New York.”

The Hospitality and Gaming Trades Council, the city’s powerful hospitality union that played a key role in helping build enough support for Menin to become president, said the bill’s apparent death was good for the city. “It’s no surprise that a bill that would deprive New Yorkers of union jobs and housing opportunities, and which has never garnered more than a handful of sponsors, is unlikely to pass or even be eligible for a vote,” said HTC political director Bhav Tibrewal.

First introduced in late 2024, the bill would allow certain owners of one- or two-family homes to begin renting out their residence for stays of 30 days or less without being present. That would have been a step back from the status quo before 2023, when the city banned almost all forms of short-term rentals, reasoning that the five boroughs needed most apartments for permanent housing amid a growing affordability crisis.

Airbnb, whose business model was hampered by the 2023 reforms, argued that the adjustments went too far and that the bill would create a reasonable compromise. On the other hand, the HTC strongly opposed the bill, fearing that it would put its members out of work and jeopardize permanent housing stocks.

Ultimately, few Council members came out publicly in support of the bill, with only seven co-sponsors signing on as of Wednesday evening.

Sources said Council leaders to that end made a preliminary appeal Wednesday evening not to advance the bill for a vote at Thursday’s final 2025 meeting, eliminating the possibility of its passage during this session — and meaning it would have to be reintroduced next year to have a chance of passage. The sources warned that the call not to put the bill to a vote could be reversed, although that seems unlikely.

Before Wednesday, the bill had won support from some prominent community leaders, including the Rev. Al Sharpton, who argues that the short-term rental market is a key revenue source for landlords in predominantly black outlying neighborhoods.

President Adams, who will leave office on December 31 due to term limits, has also quietly supported the measure, according to sources. A source with direct knowledge said that last Wednesday the speaker was calling members to try to gauge support for the bill.

But council members said Menin’s lack of support, coming as she prepares to take over the presidency next year, weighed heavily, as did new Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s likely opposition to the plan.

In a scathing statement, Sharpton placed the blame for the bill’s apparent failure on Menin, suggesting that she had undermined President Adams.

“The most alarming thing that happened in recent days was the presumptive president’s decision to undermine the first black woman to lead this body,” Sharpton said. “If we want to show our values, Councilmember Menin certainly showed his this week… If this is what we expect from the City Council over the next four years, the promise of a more affordable New York that they have preached to sway votes will have been nothing more than another empty promise.

Menin did not deny she was opposed to the bill, but said she had not called any other members about it.

“It is unfortunate that misleading attacks are being used to try to advance Airbnb’s agenda rather than having an honest conversation about protecting New Yorkers’ housing,” she said.