Owen Mitchell
"With Intros 948 & 1107, working families will lose out. If I was to lose my job, that would be detrimental to me and my family. And not just me, but 40,000 hotel employees would be affected also."
Airbnb-backed bills fail in City Council
December 31, 2025
Airbnb spent millions in NYC elections this year trying to roll back restrictions on short-term rentals. This fall, we stopped them in their tracks.
Airbnb is a direct threat to our members’ jobs and communities.
For the past fifteen years, our union has fought for reasonable restrictions on short-term rentals and platforms like Airbnb. We’ve sounded the alarm at massive rallies and City Hall hearings, in media interviews and politicians’ offices: short-term rentals like Airbnb threaten layoffs across the hotel industry and worsen New York City's housing crisis.
In 2022, NYC passed landmark legislation to restrict short-term rentals. This fall, Airbnb tried to undo the City’s progress.
In 2022, after years of advocacy from tenants, community activists, and hotel workers, the NYC Council overwhelmingly passed Local Law 18. Earlier laws had already made it illegal to rent out apartments for less than 30 days without the resident present during the guest's stay. But for many years, NYC lacked an effective mechanism to enforce these regulations against short-term rentals. As a result, as many as 60,000 short-term rentals were listed in NYC each night – many of them in violation of city law.
Local Law 18 put an end to the widespread operation of illegal hotels. It required hosts to register with the City and penalized platforms like Airbnb for listing unregistered rentals.
Since Local Law 18 took effect, Airbnb listings in NYC are down by 92% – returning tens of thousands of apartments to the housing market.
92% decrease in Airbnb listings since Local Law 18 took effect.
This fall, Airbnb tried to re-write the law in their favor with two bills: Intros 948 & 1107
Airbnb tried to force two bills through City Council, Intros 948 & 1107, that would have rolled back restrictions on short-term rentals. These bills would have allowed Airbnb hosts to rent units in one- and two-family homes for less than 30 days, without being present during the guest's stay. In other words, the bills would have allowed one- and two- family homes to operate like hotels. Not only would this have hurt hotel jobs, but it also would have allowed for homes to be converted into tourist rentals, which would increase rents – the last thing New Yorkers need in the middle of a housing crisis. One- and two- family homes are no small fraction of the City’s housing supply; they make up over 28% of the City's housing stock. That’s over 900,000 one- and two-family homes that could have been taken off of the housing market and converted into tourist rentals if Airbnb got their way.
Airbnb spent millions trying to push these bills
Airbnb’s super PAC spent millions in NYC elections this year to push their corporate agenda. Council Member Mercedes Narcisse, the sponsor of Intro 948, received over $250,000 in donations from Airbnb this election cycle.
"Locked out of NYC, Airbnb is now single largest spender in local elections.”
– Gothamist
How our union defended hotel workers – and our City – against Airbnb.
Our union swung into action to stop Airbnb’s attempts to rewrite the law to their advantage. We joined a broad coalition of community activists, tenants rights organizations, and social justice leaders. That coalition organized rallies and press conferences against the proposed bills, mobilized hundreds of New Yorkers to testify in opposition at City Hall hearings, garnered support for our fight from elected officials, and launched a media campaign that reached millions of people.
Taking action at city hall
On November 20, 2025, a committee hearing on Intros 948 & 1107 took place. That morning, hundreds of hotel workers, tenants, and community activists came together on the steps of City Hall to make our opposition to the bills clear. Afterwards, opponents of the bills – including dozens of union members – flooded the hearing to testify against Intros 948 & 1107.
“Local Law 18 helped regulate Airbnb. And now, Airbnb is trying to bully our City into getting rid of these regulations, which will make housing even more expensive, especially in communities of color. We can't let that happen.”
– STEPHANIE GALEAS, Front Desk at Resorts World Casino NYC
On December 18, 2025, another committee hearing on the bills took place. This hearing was Airbnb's last chance to force the bills through before a new administration and City Council take the reins in January. But thanks to the efforts of our broad coalition, the bill died – failing to even be scheduled for a vote in committee. Hundreds of union members rallied in City Hall Park, distributing flyers to thank the City Council for standing with real New Yorkers and against Airbnb.
Elected leaders speak out against Airbnb
Elected officials spoke out against Airbnb in clear words, showing their unmistakable support for our union and its members.
“I am proud to stand with union workers and tenants in the fight against Intro 948 & 1107, which will make our city less affordable and displace vulnerable communities. New York’s housing laws are not for sale, no matter how much a wealthy corporation spends.”
– ZOHRAN MAMDANI, NYC Mayor-Elect
The media campaign
Ads in opposition to Intros 948 & 1107 reached millions of people. Leading up to City Council hearings on the bills, our union filmed a TV ad that exposed how Airbnb's bills would threaten the lives of hotel workers and ran it on major channels and popular streaming sites. We posted a series of videos on social media that told the stories of real New Yorkers who rely on their union jobs to pay rent, provide for their families and receive lifesaving healthcare – jobs that these bills put at risk.
A Captivating TV Ad
Click here to watch our union's television ad.
Our message was also amplified by allied organizations in the news. In an article published by the New York Daily News, Robert Desir of the Legal Aid Society voiced his strong opposition to the bills. “Under these bills, nearly every unit of permanent housing could be converted to a short-term rental when no resident is present. That would explicitly encourage large-scale investors and private-equity firms to buy rental properties from the very homeowners Airbnb is promising to protect... The Council should reject Airbnb’s rollback and proudly ensure our homes remain for living, not for listing.”
In a television interview with Errol Louis on NY1, social justice leader Reverend Kirsten John Foy explained his opposition to Intros 948 & 1107.
“Airbnb is asking renters to compete with tourists for beds and baths.”
– REVEREND KIRSTEN JOHN FOY, President of The Arc of Justice
Elizabeth Cruz
“I’m the father and mother of my daughter, and the main provider for my mom. I support my mom, who lives in Caracas, Venezuela. She’s very sick right now. I need my job and my benefits.”
Biviana Pereira
“My husband is facing a tough battle with cancer. My husband’s life practically depends on his treatment, and he gets his health insurance through my job. If I lose my job because of Airbnb, it will be devastating for my husband’s treatment.”
Sean Aird
“If I lost my job, I wouldn’t be able to function. This medication that I use every day – it will become so much more expensive. Passing Intro 948 would devastate hotel workers like me.”
Fidelia Martinez
“My dream is to buy a house, but I’m a single mom and my son is in college. We’re just working to pay bills and bills and bills. But I’m going to keep dreaming until I make it happen.”
NGN Jamyang
“Taking care of my mom is the first priority of my life. My mom can’t walk; her body is paralyzed. I have to provide everything – you have to pay the salary of the caretakers and the doctors. If I lost my job, it will be very bad for me and my mom and my family.”