A City Council bill that would allow more New Yorkers to open their homes for short-term rentals appears effectively dead since the chamber is not expected to consider the measure Thursday at its final meeting of the year, sources told the Daily News.
The decision to not move forward with the legislation would come after a grueling — and expensive — lobbying fight. It would also mark the end of a battle that featured outgoing Council Speaker Adrienne Adams, a tacit supporter of the bill, on one side and Julie Menin, the incoming speaker who hasn’t supported the legislation, on the other, sources familiar with the matter told The News.
Airbnb, which spent more than $1 million this year on lobbying to get the bill passed, insisted late Wednesday the company will continue to pursue the legislation in 2026, even as its prospects could be dim under Menin.
“We are not giving up the fight on behalf of homeowners and their right to earn supplemental income,” an Airbnb spokesman said. “We are not giving up the fight for a more affordable New York.”
The Hotel and Gaming Trades Council, the city’s powerful hotel union that played a key role in helping secure enough support for Menin to become speaker, said the apparent death of the bill is good for the city. “It’s no surprise that a bill that would take union jobs and housing opportunities away from New Yorkers, and that never gained more than a handful of sponsors, is looking unlikely to pass or to even qualify for a vote,” said HTC political director Bhav Tibrewal.
First introduced in late 2024, the bill would allow some owners of one- and two-family homes to start renting out their residences for stays of 30 days or less without being present. That would have been a step back toward the status quo before 2023, when the city outlawed nearly all forms of short-term rentals, reasoning the five boroughs needed most apartments for permanent housing amid a deepening affordability crisis.
Airbnb, whose business model was hampered by the 2023 reforms, has been arguing the tweaks went too far and that the bill would create a reasonable compromise. On the other side, the HTC has been vocally opposed to the bill due to concerns about it depriving its members of work and jeopardizing permanent housing stocks.
Ultimately, few Council members have come out publicly in favor of the bill, with just seven co-sponsors signed up as of late Wednesday.
Sources said Council leaders to that end made a preliminary call late Wednesday to not advance the bill for a vote at Thursday’s final 2025 meeting, killing the possibility of passage in this session — and meaning it would need to be reintroduced next year for a chance at adoption. The sources cautioned the call to not put the bill up for a vote could be reversed, though it appeared unlikely.
Before Wednesday, the bill earned support from some prominent community leaders, including the Rev. Al Sharpton, who argues the short-term rental market is a key income stream for homeowners in predominantly Black outer-borough neighborhoods.
Speaker Adams, who’s leaving office Dec. 31 due to term limits, has also been quietly supportive of the measure, according to sources. One source with direct knowledge said as recently as Wednesday the speaker was making calls to members trying to gauge support for the bill.
But Council insiders said Menin’s lack of support, coming as she prepares to take over the speaker’s gavel next year, has weighed heavily, as has incoming Mayor Zohran Mamdani’s likely opposition to it.
In a stinging statement, Sharpton laid blame for the bill’s apparent failure on Menin, suggesting she undercut Speaker Adams.
“The most alarming thing that has unfolded these last several days has been the decision by the presumptive speaker to undercut the first Black woman to lead this body,” Sharpton said. “If we are to lead with our values, Council Member Menin has certainly shown hers this week … If this is what we are to expect from the City Council these next four years, the promise of a more affordable New York they preached about to sway votes will have been nothing more than another empty promise.”
Menin didn’t deny she’s opposed to the bill, but said she hasn’t made any calls to other members about it.
“It’s unfortunate that misleading attacks are being used to try to advance Airbnb’s corporate agenda rather than having an honest conversation about protecting housing for New Yorkers,” she said.
