Bayside Senator Proposes Safety Protocols For Airbnb

BAYSIDE, QUEENS — State Sen. Tony Avella is proposing legislation to create safety protocols and transparency for home-sharing programs, such as the popular Airbnb.

Avella’s announcement came Aug. 7 in what the senator is calling “common-sense reform.” Six points are outlined in the proposal, which the senator shared in a recent tweet.

Avella is proposing that proper record be kept for home sharing, including guest registration information (name, residence, date of arrival and departure), and that such records are kept for three years.

Under the legislation, all lodging establishments, hotels and short-term rentals would require legal photo identification from guests. Short-term rental advertisements for private dwellings must further state the property address.

The senator has also proposed that owners of private dwellings who engage in short-term rentals must affirm that there are no outstanding violations in their property. (For more information on this and other neighborhood stories, subscribe to Patch to receive daily newsletters and breaking news alerts.)

Finally, the proposal also requires the enforcement of zoning laws that prohibit commercial activity in residential neighborhoods.

The proposal comes almost two weeks after Avella joined Little Neck residents demanding that Airbnb remove the listing of a home that had an illegal basement, deck and extensions, according to a Queens Examiner report.

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