Two Airbnb hosts — one who was renting out a Trump Tower apartment and another who listed her affordable housing co-op for $446 a night — have coughed up $1,000 each in fines under a law banning listings for short-term rentals, according to the city.
“The state law prohibiting illegal rental ads is helping us stop those who turn homes into hotels,” City Hall spokeswoman Melissa Grace said.
“The city has started receiving payments of these fines — including by a homeowner in Trump Tower and a Lower East Side resident who frequently rented out a home specifically reserved as affordable housing for low-income New Yorkers.”
The two hosts are the first people to pay their fines under the law, which prohibits advertising the properties. It was already against the law in New York to rent out an entire apartment for fewer than 30 days if the owner is not also at home.
In a statement, Airbnb spokesman Peter Schottenfels said the law doesn’t distinguish between “responsible New Yorkers who occasionally share their home with illegal hotel operators,” and that they’d look to change it.
“Today, 96% of NYC Airbnb hosts who share their entire home have only one entire home listing and most hosts only share their space occasionally,” he said.
The Trump Tower listing, owned by Yelena Yelagina, made headlines earlier this year when The New York Times tried to book the apartment after realizing it had been up for rent while President Trump resided there between his election and inauguration. Yelagina, who could not be reached for comment, was issued the fine in March and paid it on April 7, according to the city.
The Lower East Side rental was in a decidedly less presidential building — a city-subsidized affordable co-op on E. Sixth St. meant for low-income families. But host Jennifer Livingston was still able to fetch $446 a night for the unit, according to her Airbnb listing.
The city’s regulatory agreement with the building precludes it from being used for anything other than permanent housing, according to the city. But the two-bedroom, two-bath unit with a private deck was booked by guests often enough that it has more than 90 reviews on Livingston’s still-visible Airbnb host page.
The city found out about the listing after a neighbor complained in December, alleging loud music, parties and drug use.
The listing offered accommodations for up to eight people, touting a large dining room table that could seat six to eight and an outdoor space with a hammock and daybed, “perfect for sipping on drinks” — though it did note no parties were allowed. Livingston paid the $1,000 fine for listing the unit on April 24, according to the city. The listing has been removed.
