Local Law 18 was designed to regulate the operation of illegal hotels and protect New York City's housing stock, which it did. However, its broad application also caused unintended consequences for small private homeowners, who became collateral damage of a policy written to target much larger, multi-dwelling properties. These homeowners, many of whom rely on short-term rentals as a financial lifeline, found themselves caught in a web of confusion and legal risk.

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Intro 948 was introduced to address these concerns, initially expanding the occupancy threshold for short-term rentals in one- and two-family residences to allow homeowners to reasonably participate in the home-sharing market. As enforcement under the Mayor's Office of Special Enforcement (OSE) began, vague language in the law created confusion, making it difficult for homeowners to comply without fear of penalties.

Intro 948 was later refined into Intro 948-A, which sought to increase the number of boarders a permanent resident could have in their home and clarify the Administrative Code to ensure more consistent enforcement. That effort continued into Intro 948-B — but despite a coalition of Council co-sponsors and broad institutional support, 948-B was laid over in committee and expired at the end of the 2025 legislative session without ever reaching a floor vote.

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The fight didn't end there. On April 30, 2026, the bill was reintroduced as Intro 879 — the current, live version, carrying forward six of the original Council co-sponsors. Intro 879 is currently pending before the Committee on Housing and Buildings.

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Intro 879 keeps the same core goal that's driven this effort from the beginning: allowing primary-residence homeowners to reasonably share their homes without being treated like commercial hotel operators. It raises the boarder limit for private dwellings, removes the requirement that a host be physically present during a stay, and allows homeowners to lock private bedrooms and storage areas while keeping all shared spaces and fire egress fully accessible. The law still needs to strike the same balance it always has — letting homeowners generate income while protecting the city's housing stock, without unfairly targeting the people who were never the problem.