Advocates Celebrate NYC Council Decision to Kill Dangerous Airbnb-Backed Legislation

NEW YORK, NY (12/18/2025) (readMedia)-- Today, the New York City Council declined to advance Intro 948, dangerous Airbnb-backed legislation that would have eliminated nearly all regulations on short-term rentals and jeopardized tens of thousands of permanent homes for New Yorkers. Airbnb spent millions to lobby every Council Member and lie to the public, trying to force a vote on legislation that failed to gain support from more than just a handful of Councilmembers who Airbnb donated to. The Housing Committee declined to advance the legislation to the full Committee during its last meeting of the year, meaning the bill is now officially dead.

The legislation was opposed by a large and diverse coalition of dozens of neighborhood, housing advocacy, social and economic justice, pro-tenant and pro-worker groups, who organized over the last year to educate New Yorkers about the devastating effect commercializing housing would have on our city.

In response to the Council's decision to reject the legislation, Whitney Hu, Director of Civic Engagement and Research at Churches United for Fair Housing, a member of the Tenants Not Tourists coalition, issued the following statement praising the Council for its steadfast support of tenants:

"After more than a year of fighting, New Yorkers have once again defeated Airbnb's attempt to turn our homes into their profit. Despite heavy spending to misinform the public and drown out the voices of everyday people, New Yorkers organized and fought tooth and nail to preserve our homes for the people who live here. This victory is a rebuke of the shameless astroturfing that Airbnb has tried and succeeded at elsewhere, and a model for how to defeat big money interests trying to exploit our housing crisis for their own gain.

We owe a special thank you to Housing Chair Pierina Sanchez, who stood firm in the face of intense pressure and refused to advance this reckless bill, and to the overwhelming majority of Councilmembers who rejected this shameless attempt to rewrite our housing laws for Airbnb's benefit. We know Airbnb will likely be back, which is why we look forward to continuing working with Mayor-elect Mamdani, Speaker-elect Menin, and the rest of the Council to safeguard our homes for everyday New Yorkers for years to come."

About Tenants Not Tourists

In December 2024, advocates launched Tenants Not Tourists, a coalition committed to protecting New York City's housing stock for the people who live here - not for the short-term profits of multi-billion-dollar tech companies and real estate speculators. The coalition's name reflects the belief that housing should serve tenants and communities, not be transformed into transient accommodations at the expense of long-term stability. Our coalition has strongly opposed both Intro 1107 and Intro 948, Airbnb-backed bills introduced in the New York City Council that threatened to dismantle key tenant protections and exacerbate the housing crisis in New York City.

Members of the Tenants Not Tourists coalition include Astoria Tenants Union, Carroll Gardens Association, Churches United for Fair Housing (CUFFH), Citizen Action of NY, Coalition Against Illegal Hotels, Communities Resist, Community Service Society, Cooper Square Committee, Crown Heights Tenant Union, El Puente, Goddard Riverside Law Project, Housing Conservation Coordinators, Housing Justice for All, Housing Organizers for People Empowerment (HOPE), IMPACCT Brooklyn, Inside Airbnb, Make the Road, Met Council on Housing, Midtown South Community Council, National Organization for Women at Hunter College, New York Communities for Change (NYCC), Pratt Center for Community Development, Ridgewood Tenants Union, Save 63 Tiffany, Southwest Brooklyn Tenant Union, St. Nicks Alliance, Sunset Park Votes, TakeRoot Justice, TenantsPAC, Tenants and Neighbors, The Action Lab, The Legal Aid Society, United Neighbors Organization (UNO), VOCAL-NY, Young Invincibles, and more. To learn more, visit the coalition's website.