Short-Term Rental Compliance - NYC Local Law 18

Current Rule

Local Law 18 created registration and platform-verification controls; it did not legalize rentals that violate the Multiple Dwelling Law, Housing Maintenance Code, zoning, or other existing rules.

• A covered host offering a stay of fewer than 30 consecutive days must register with the Mayor's Office of Special Enforcement (OSE).
• Booking services may not process an unverified covered short-term-rental transaction.
• In homes where short stays are legally permitted, the permanent resident must be present, no more than two paying guests may stay, and guests must have access to the dwelling rather than occupy a separately locked unit.
• Rent-regulated and NYCHA units cannot receive registrations.
• A property owner may add a building to OSE's prohibited-buildings list.
• Class B multiple dwellings approved for legal transient occupancy and rentals of 30 consecutive days or more are outside the registration requirement described by OSE.

Do not infer legality from an Airbnb, VRBO, or other platform listing. Registration and the underlying occupancy rules must both be satisfied.

Owner Procedure

1. Identify the building class, lawful occupancy, lease or proprietary-lease restrictions, and rent-regulation status.
2. Search OSE registration and prohibited-building records.
3. If the owner prohibits short stays, use OSE's prohibited-buildings process and enforce lease terms consistently.
4. Preserve complaints, platform listings, notices, and communications.
5. Escalate a suspected illegal transient use to NYC counsel and the appropriate agency; do not use self-help.

Verified Sources

Fetched and read August 7, 2026:

• NYC OSE - Short-Term Rental Registration Law
• NYC OSE - 2025 explanation of Local Law 18 and current operating rules
• NYC HPD - Homeowner Resources and short-term-rental rules

Work With Botway

Botway may preserve an owner policy and public registration evidence. It does not approve a short-term rental or enforce a tenancy.