因其非法房屋出租纽约对Airbnb进行处罚

AS IT IS 2015-10-29 New York Fines Airbnb for Illegal Home-Sharing 因其非法房屋出租纽约对Airbnb进行处罚

Airbnb, a global home-sharing company, faces a fight to stay in New York City.

A proposed law would punish people for renting out their homes fewer than 30 days. Airbnb promises to fight the proposed regulation. Airbnb asked its customers to sign a paper, or petition, against the law.

Airbnb is website for people advertise and look for short-term rentals². For many, Airbnb is a cheap alternative to a hotel.

Hotel rooms in New York City average about $250 per night. International travelers often book short visits to New York on Airbnb. But New York state law prohibits people from renting out an entire home or apartment to someone for fewer than 30 days.

Owners and tenants⁴ may rent out part of their apartment or home. But they must stay on the property during the short-term stay.

Earlier this year, two New York City Council members proposed penalties for people who illegally rent their homes. 

City law currently puts a first-time penalty of $1,000 on those who change their home into a short-term rental¹ space. The proposal would raise the first-time penalty from $1,000 to $10,000, and the maximum penalty from $25,000 to $50,000.

Chris Lehane is Airbnb’s Global Head of Public Policy. He started the petition against the law, "The New York City Council could cause thousands of everyday New Yorkers to lose their homes or make it harder for them to get by,” he said.

City Councilwoman Helen Rosenthal said the increased penalties were not meant to hurt people, "but at protecting the New York City housing stock."  There is worry that using so many apartments short-term rentals drives up housing prices for everyone.

The councilwoman's spokesperson, Stephanie Buhle, said the goal is to protect low-income tenants. She gave the example of a low-income apartment building that listed 80 percent of its units as hotel rooms. Residents complained, and the city fined the owner only $800.

“Our housing stock is really valuable, and [landlords] are using it for [their] own good,” said Buhle, who added that the city suspects there to be more than 16,000 illegal hotels in NYC.

Airbnb says nearly eight in 10 of its hosts are low to middle income. Many of them need additional income to remain in their homes or apartment.

According to the city council's website, the amendment⁵ is being considered by a council committee. It may or may not actually become a law.

New York City is not the only city to propose laws against short-term home-sharing. San Francisco will vote on November 3 whether to limit short-term rentals to 75 days a year. The current limit is 90 days. The proposed law would require hosting sites like Airbnb to take down listings that violate the limit.

In an agreement with the city of Chicago, Airbnb recently began collecting hotel tax in order to stay in business there.

Airbnb was created seven years ago and has grown very fast in the digital age. The company lists about 1.2 million rentals worldwide on its website, according to the Los Angeles Times. Cities across the country are trying to figure out how best to tax and manage this industry.

Words in This Story

petition – n. a written document that people sign to show that they want a person or organization to do or change something

short-term rental – n. renting out a house or apartment for less than 30 days

tenant³ – n. a person, business, group, etc., that pays to use another person's property : someone who rents or leases a house, apartment, etc., from a landlord

penalty – n. punishment for breaking a rule or law

housing stock – n. the total number of housing units in an area

digital – n. using or characterized by computer technology

regulators – n. an official who works for the part of the government that controls a public activity (such as banking⁶ or insurance) by making and enforcing rules

amendment – n. a change in the words or meaning of a law or document (such as a constitution)

1 rental   

n.租赁，出租，出租业

参考例句：

• The yearly rental of her house is 2400 yuan.她这房子年租金是2400元。
• We can organise car rental from Chicago O'Hare Airport.我们可以安排提供从芝加哥奥黑尔机场出发的租车服务。

2 rentals   

n.租费，租金额( rental的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• In some large hotels, the income derived from this source actually exceeds income from room rentals. 有些大旅馆中，这方面的盈利实际上要超过出租客房的盈利。 来自辞典例句
• Clerk: Well, Canadian Gifts is on the lower level. It's across from Prime Time Video Rentals. 噢，礼品店在楼下，在黄金时刻录像出租屋的对面。 来自口语例句

3 tenant   

n.承租人；房客；佃户；v.租借，租用

参考例句：

• The tenant was dispossessed for not paying his rent.那名房客因未付房租而被赶走。
• The tenant is responsible for all repairs to the building.租户负责对房屋的所有修理。

4 tenants   

n.房客( tenant的名词复数 )；佃户；占用者；占有者

参考例句：

• A number of tenants have been evicted for not paying the rent. 许多房客因不付房租被赶了出来。
• Tenants are jointly and severally liable for payment of the rent. 租金由承租人共同且分别承担。

5 amendment   

n.改正，修正，改善，修正案

参考例句：

• The amendment was rejected by 207 voters to 143.这项修正案以207票对143票被否决。
• The Opposition has tabled an amendment to the bill.反对党已经就该议案提交了一项修正条款。

6 banking   

n.银行业，银行学，金融业

参考例句：

• John is launching his son on a career in banking.约翰打算让儿子在银行界谋一个新职位。
• He possesses an extensive knowledge of banking.他具有广博的银行业务知识。