Airbnb hosts say city crackdown is creating confusion
Jason Mondesir-Caesar, an Airbnb host in Brooklyn, recently received a letter from the city’s Office of Special Enforcement warning of a possible $5,000 fine and license suspension for his brownstone rental. He says the notice came without explanation, and for days he was unable to get a response from the city on how to proceed.
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As New York City cracks down on illegal short-term rentals, some Airbnb hosts say they’re being unfairly swept up in the enforcement, despite trying to follow the rules.
Jason Mondesir-Caesar, an Airbnb host in Brooklyn, recently received a letter from the city’s Office of Special Enforcement warning of a possible $5,000 fine and license suspension for his brownstone rental. He says the notice came without explanation, and for days he was unable to get a response from the city on how to proceed.
“This random warning out of nowhere, that I may lose my license and be fined $5,000, it’s a gut punch, really,” he said.
Mondesir-Caesar says he’s been hosting responsibly, keeping to one floor of his Bed-Stuy brownstone duplex while guests occupy another. It is connected by a staircase - and he had previously confirmed his listing as "entire unit" with the Office of Special Enforcement when he initially listed it in 2023.
Currently, Airbnb hosts must live in the space and not list space for more than two people for listings less than 30 days under current state and city law.
Airbnb now has additional options, including "guest" and "shared space," but he says he's not sure which best fits his space, or will bring him into city compliance, something he believes he never left.
“They’re not telling me which rule I broke,” he said. “I know I didn’t break any rule.”
City officials say 500 letters were recently sent out to hosts accused of using deceptive tactics — including listing a whole unit when the owner still lives there. But Mondesir-Caesar insists he was advised by the city to list his space that way.
“I took all the steps necessary, including going to the director to make sure I was in compliance,” he said.
The Office of Special Enforcement told News 12 it cannot comment on individual cases but clarified that the letters were issued only when violations were found in the language of online listings.
The agency said it does not seek to fine hosts, but to help them return to good standing adding that "OSE's top priority is to protect New Yorkers and our city’s housing stock by ensuring compliance with our longstanding short-term rental laws, We are committed to working with hosts attempting to remedy a listing violation."
Mondesir-Caesar says following News 12's request for comment, officials from OSE reached out to detail how to update his listing's language to come back into compliance, including that he must list that he will be present in the unit.
