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Airbnb Inc. settled its lawsuit against New York State over a new law restricting short-term rentals, with both sides agreeing that New York City, not the state, is responsible for enforcing it. The new law prohibits advertising of short-term rentals—less than 30 days—with violators facing fines of as much as $7,500.

Public Advocate Letitia James recently released the annual list of the 100 worst landlords in New York City. The list compiles the landlords who have accrued the most violations relative to the total buildings they own. The information is available here and utilizes data from the DOB and HPD.

Airbnb is in talks with New York officials about settling the lawsuit Airbnb filed after Gov. Andrew Cuomo passed a law targeting “hosts” with illegal listings with up to $7,500 in fines. Airbnb sued the city and New York State just hours after Cuomo signed the bill into law in October. A federal judge postponed a meeting scheduled to discuss Airbnb’s suit, saying the two sides are talking about a potential resolution.

The New York City Council recently introduced three bills intended to provide greater protection to tenants at risk of being illegally evicted. The three pieces of legislation target so-called predatory equity landlords. Predatory landlords refer to landlords who buy buildings at high prices in the hope they will earn back the money once the rent-stabilized or rent-controlled units are deregulated.

Each year since 1998, the city has sold off landlords’ unpaid fines and bills to private investors, who then collect payments and can seize properties if the owners don’t pay. But when the debt is sold off the inflating interest can becoming a crushing burden, and residents often feel the brunt of the pain as landlords cut costs on crucial services, according to a report by Public Advocate Letitia James.

Mayor Bill de Blasio, Department of Finance Commissioner Jacques Jiha, and Housing, Preservation & Development Commissioner Vicki Been recently announced that the city has enrolled 20,000 seniors and people with disabilities in the NYC Rent Freeze Program since expanding access in June 2014. The program, which includes the Senior Citizen Rent Increase Exemption (SCRIE) program and the Disability Rent Increase Exemption (DRIE) program, helps those eligible stay in ho...

Airbnb’s attempt to bring landlords into the fold by offering them a cut of revenue is off to a shaky start. In an effort to get landlords to allow their tenants to rent units on Airbnb, the rental giant launched a program last month that offers landlords a cut of revenue between 5 and 15 percent from Airbnb guests in their buildings.

Under New York State's Multiple Dwelling Law, it is already illegal to temporarily rent out your full apartment for fewer than 30 days if you're not present, but, in June, a bill passed by the state legislature made it illegal to advertise the units. The bill would levy a $7,500 fine on anyone who violates it. Now, it’s up to Cuomo to either veto or sign the bill.

Citi Habitats recently became the first brokerage to partner with Rentlogic, a website that grades landlords on how they manage their properties. Launched earlier this year, Rentlogic is a database that gathers public information on complaints about issues like mold, water leaks, or construction noise for New York City multifamily properties and then uses an algorithm to give the building’s landlord a letter grade.

On April 21, 2016, Mayor de Blasio signed Local Law 45, which authorized the Department of Finance (DOF) to create a 90-day amnesty program for owners with outstanding ECB judgments. The three-month program allows participants to resolve violations they received from New York City’s Department of Sanitation, Buildings, Transportation, Fire Department, Landmarks, Parks, or other City of New York agencies and which are now in judgm...