AG James, Mamdani, Comptroller Lander + BP Levine Urge NYC Council To Reject Dangerous Airbnb-Backed Bills

NEW YORK, NY (11/20/2025) (readMedia)-- Today, New York State Attorney General Letitia James, NYC Mayor-elect Zohran Mamdani, NYC Comptroller Brad Lander and Manhattan Borough President / Comptroller-Elect Mark Levine joined a growing coalition of lawmakers, advocates, labor, and everyday New Yorkers to urge the New York City Council to reject Intro 948 and Intro 1107. If passed, these Airbnb-backed bills would dismantle New York City's housing laws and undermine tenant protections so that Airbnb can profit.

Quotes from lawmakers speaking against Intro 948 and Intro 1107 are below:

New York Attorney General Letitia James said: "Hardworking New Yorkers should be able to afford our city - not be priced out of their homes and neighborhoods as the biggest corporations reap bigger and bigger profits. Workers should not be facing skyrocketing costs and rents while their wages stay stagnant and companies continue to monetize their neighborhoods. I will always fight for them in New York City."

NYC Mayor-Elect Zohran Mamdani said in a post on X: "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."

New York City Comptroller Brad Lander said: "New York City is already facing a massive housing affordability crisis, which research has shown is due in large part to a shortage of available rental units. We simply can't afford to take more housing units offline and convert them into short-term stays for tourists. I urge the City Council to reject AirBnB's end-of-term lobbying, and stay focused on growing the housing supply rather than shrinking it."

Manhattan Borough President and Comptroller-Elect Mark Levine said: "With New York City facing the most severe housing shortage and affordability crisis in its history, city policies must be laser focused on expanding the supply of housing in every neighborhood. Now is not the time to undermine our city's available housing supply."

James, Mamdani, Lander and Levine join a long list of state and local lawmakers who have urged the Council to reject Airbnb in recent months. In recent days, Senate Finance Chair Liz Krueger, Assembly Housing Chair Linda Rosenthal, Queens Borough President Donovan Richards Jr., NYC Council Housing Chair Pierina Sanchez and dozens of State Senators, Assemblymembers and Councilmembers have all spoken out against these bills over concerns they would worsen the city's housing shortage.

Background

Since the implementation of Local Law 18, Airbnb has unsuccessfully spent millions to fund pro-Airbnb candidates and push legislation that would roll back regulations on short-term rentals and undermine tenant protections. After failing to pass Intro 1107, they are now pivoting to an even more extreme version of the anti-tenant, anti-housing bill the Council already rejected. Airbnb's new bill, Intro 948-A, includes everything in the old bill and goes even further by removing the host requirement for Airbnbs and changing the definition of a family under the city's housing code.

Airbnb is using deceptive tactics to try and convince lawmakers to pass their dangerous legislation before a new Council and Mayor can stop them - even though a new report clearly demonstrates that these measures will raise rents and home prices while displacing the very working class families Airbnb claims to be protecting.

At the same time that Airbnb is exploiting the concerns of marginalized New Yorkers, Airbnb is cozying up with Trump and MAGA Republicans who are attacking the same communities they claim to support. The company donated over $3 million to Trump and MAGA Republicans, while their leadership has referred to immigrants as "criminals" and openly worked with the Trump administration.