Tensions flare between NYC tenants and homeowners over short-term rental laws

After the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce released a poll claiming a majority of New Yorkers support short-term rentals, a tenant advocacy coalition went toe-to-toe with homeowner groups as the fight over Airbnb laws intensified.

The poll, reported exclusively by amNewYork on Tuesday, found that 78% of residents believe New York City’s law banning short-term rentals, such as Airbnbs, should be revisited or are open to changing it.

But the “Tenants Not Tourists” coalition, which opposes short-term rentals in favor of long-term tenants, said the poll was “wildly inconsistent” with previous findings and did not reflect New Yorkers’ views. The coalition instead pointed to a June poll, which found that 56% of New Yorkers opposed legislation that would loosen restrictions on short-term rentals.

The two sides each referred to the other as an “astroturf” campaign, meaning disingenuous organizations with shady funding, in statements to amNewYork.

Since 2023, New York City’s Local Law 18 has essentially banned rentals shorter than 30 days unless the host is present in the same unit. Proponents said the restrictions were necessary to increase the rental housing stock amid a historically low vacancy rate, but opponents accused it

The battle reignited in November 2024, when Brooklyn Councilmember Farah Louis proposed Intro 1107, an Airbnb-backed bill that would loosen restrictions. The Tenants Not Tourists coalition formed in response.

Whitney Hu, director of civic engagement and research at Churches United for Fair Housing, a Tenants Not Tourists coalition member, said the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce’s poll was a “sham” and was “faking” support.

“The reality is that Airbnb’s bill would decimate our housing supply and drive rents to new record highs,” Hu wrote in a statement. “That’s why Mayoral candidates from Zohran Mamdani to Eric Adams have publicly opposed efforts to overturn our housing laws, and why the vast majority of elected officials are standing with New Yorkers against this bill.”

A spokesperson for Tenants Not Tourists noted that the June poll was more transparent, which stated that it was funded by the Hotels and Gaming Trades Council, a labor union that has backed the coalition against Airbnb. The spokesperson said that transparency makes it more trustworthy.

The Chamber sent the cross-tabulation results to amNewYork when asked, which showed that the poll asked 503 adults across the five boroughs but did not distinguish between homeowners and renters.

The full results, reviewed for the first time by amNewYork, show that the poll also found 55% of residents surveyed at least somewhat supported the city’s current short-term rent regulations. But a majority also believe the law should be revisited, as the Chamber said Tuesday.

The coalition’s response came as homeowner groups held a rally at Brooklyn Borough Hall against Local Law 18.

Amy Werba, a homeowner from Bedford-Stuyvesant in Brooklyn who spoke at the rally, said the restrictions were hurting small owners amid the city’s affordability crisis.

“Renting my home has been a crucial source of income that has given me stability as a single mother and now semi-retired homeowner in Bed-Stuy,” Werba said at the rally. “I follow the rules, maintain a safe home, and use the extra funds to cover everyday essentials. But the current restrictions are punishing responsible hosts like me.”

The Tenants Not Tourists spokesperson aimed to discredit the rally, saying its sponsors were “allied with Airbnb” but did not disclose their financial relationship.

One of the rally’s prime sponsors, Homeowners for Financial Empowerment, is a lobbying group created by Airbnb, according to the company’s own policy strategy director, Bloomberg reported in January. Airbnb gave the group $450,000 in 2024, according to state data.

Hu added that Airbnb has financially supported homeowner groups to target Local Law 18, demanding the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce reveal its funding sources for the poll.

“Across the world, Airbnb and its allies are bankrolling dark money astroturf campaigns like this one to spread lies to advance their affordability-killing, anti-tenant agenda,” Hu wrote. “But New Yorkers aren’t falling for Airbnb’s sham tactics, and no new ‘poll’ faking support for their dangerous legislation will change that.”

While there is no evidence that Airbnb funded the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce’s poll, the company’s political action committee, Affordable New York, has spent nearly $3.7 million on 2025 campaigns attempting to gather support for Intro 1107, the bill that would loosen restrictions.

Affordable New York spent $1.1 million total on seven of the bill’s eight co-sponsors, according to city data.

Randy Peers, president and CEO of the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce, did not respond to questions about the poll’s funding sources, instead saying Tenants Not Tourists does not represent New York City.

“A simple Google search for Tenants Not Tourists clearly shows that it is a fake astroturf group that was created months ago with the sole purpose of pushing special interest-backed policies that make New York City more expensive for homeowners and tourists,” Peers wrote to amNewYork. “The Brooklyn Chamber is proud to be part of a broad coalition of community groups, including real housing organizers, supporting everyday New Yorkers and making this city more affordable.”

The Tenants Not Tourists spokesperson said the coalition is made up of “longstanding defenders of working-class New Yorkers” and accused the coalition’s opponents of being Airbnb lobbying arms.

“Unlike their campaign, our Tenants Not Tourists coalition includes a long list of civil rights groups, community organizations and tenant associations that have long been involved in fights to protect and preserve housing,” the spokesperson wrote to amNewYork.

The short-term rental battle will likely be an ongoing part of the 2025 citywide elections. In June, Affordable New York spent nearly $450,000 opposing Democratic mayoral nominee Zohran Mamdani, who has expressed support for Local Law 18.

“Nearly 14 percent of all rental units that could be taken from our housing stock and turned into Airbnbs,” Mamdani said during a CBS interview in March. “What we need to do is create more housing.”

Mayor Eric Adams, who is running for reelection as an independent, has long been a champion of Local Law 18. Former Gov. Andrew Cuomo, another independent candidate, also supported restrictions on Airbnb as governor.

Hu said Airbnb will not deter Tenants Not Tourists.

“Our coalition is committed to fighting against Airbnb’s shady tactics, and we’ll continue to expose their shameless attempts to profit off of our housing crisis,” Hu wrote.

This article was updated Aug. 7 to include cross-tabulation results from the Brooklyn Chamber of Commerce’s poll.