Thousands of NYC Airbnb listings have vanished, following the implementation of NYC’s Short-Term Rental Registration Law. The ruling had been proposed in the fall of last year, but officially went into effect on Tuesday, September 5th.

The ruling even lead to Airbnb filing a lawsuit against NYC. “It is literally impossible for regular people to comply with the rules,” said Karen Dunn, Airbnb’s attorney, in a press conference earlier this summer. “These are regulations that experts will tell you no regular person could understand unless they had a history of working in building code engineering.” However, a New York judge waved the lawsuit after deeming that the Short-Term Rental Registration Law was “entirely rational.”

So let’s take a moment to get a better look at what this new law means for hosts and those looking to book a short-term stay in NYC…

What is NYC’s new ruling for short-term rentals?

The Short-Term Rental Registration Law, otherwise known as Local Law 18, requires short-term rental hosts to register with the Mayor’s Office of Special Enforcement (OSE). Without compliance and registration, transactions will no longer be processed through booking platforms including but not limited to Airbnb, VRBO, and Booking.com.

Booking platforms will work in tandem with Local Law 18 to certify that hosts are properly using the city’s verification system. Unverified transactions will not be processed on any of the platforms.

As of September 1, 2023, only 25% of 3,250 applications had been approved by the city, reported Bloomberg.

What other rules do hosts and guests need to know?

The new law also requires hosts to be physically present in the home while its being rented. Therefore, the host will be staying in the same apartment or home as the guest, simultaneously. Plus, there is a limit of two people staying in the rental at the same time—deterring larger families to ever book on Airbnb in NYC.

What else is there to know about Local Law 18?

In addition to registration, the OSE must maintain a list of buildings across the city in which short-term rentals are prohibited. Buildings may be prohibited for short-term rentals due to laws, leases, or occupancy agreements. Learn more about the Prohibited Buildings list here.

Why did the city pass the Short-Term Rental Registration Law?

The city has argued that the previous regulations surrounding short-term rentals like Airbnbs only compounded NYC’s imminent housing crisis, specifically “pushed up rents and helped fuel New York City’s housing shortage,” outlined The New York Times.

How do hosts register?

Hosts will have to provide one proof of identity and two proofs of permanent occupancy to register. They must apply via NYC’s Short-Term Rental Registration Portal.

Are there any exceptions?

Hosts of short-term rentals in “Class B” multiple dwellings that have already been approved by the city are not required to register under the new law. Additionally, if a unit is being rented for 30 consecutive days or more, registration is not required. Moreover, registration for rent-regulated units will not be approved by the OSE.

What happens to previous Airbnb bookings?

All previous reservations in short-term rentals that are not registered will be valid if they predate a December 1, 2023 check in. Reservations past that date will be canceled and refunded.

The post Good Luck Finding An Airbnb In NYC With This New Registration Law appeared first on Secret NYC.

* This article was originally published here

From Japan Fes., NYC’s epic summer-long Japanese food fest, to Dragon Fest, NYC’s largest Chinese food festival, the city is filled with many opportunities to eat your way through some incredibly tasty bites.

And this month Taste of the Seaport is returning to NYC to show New Yorkers just how much of a food destination they’ve become.

Taste of the Seaport began more than twelve years ago with the simple idea of gathering the community around its best restaurants to fundraise for the local public school, and it’s since become a wildly popular NYC culinary event.

And this year the one-day festival is going to be bigger than ever.

On Saturday, September 23rd, more than 50 restaurants and community partners will come together to showcase the culinary diversity of lower Manhattan.

Hungry NYers will get a chance to taste of some of the best restaurants and kitchens Seaport has to offer, including Cafe Patoro, Carne Mare, Industry Kitchen, Keste Pizza, Taïm, Watermark, Malibu Farm, The Fulton, Stout NYC, Cobble Fish, Hole in the Wall, Osteria, and many more.

And, beyond the tasty eats, guests will have the opportunity to enjoy live music and purchase goodies from small businesses and local artists, while children can have fun in the kid play zone.

Tickets are sold in packs of “tastes” from contributing restaurants and are currently available at early-bird prices. Early-bird pricing ends Saturday, September 16.

Proceeds from Taste of the Seaport will benefit PS 343 Peck Slip School and PS 397 Spruce Street School.

Learn more about Taste of the Seaport here.

The post Seaport’s Annual Food Festival Returns This Month, & It’ll Be Bigger Than Ever appeared first on Secret NYC.

* This article was originally published here

The pandemic, racial reckoning of 2020, a shifting political climate, and the rising cost of living have tested our collective mental health limitations. Then there’s the adage in the Black American community that when white America catches a cold, Black America has pneumonia. 

BIPOC (Black, Indigenous, People of Color) need mental health support and interventions, and suffer disproportionate negative consequences from not getting treatment. We have more obstacles to obtaining therapy than our white counterparts. 

The American Psychiatric Association has said that some barriers to BIPOC accessing care include lack of insurance, mental illness stigma, distrust of the healthcare system, and lack of diversity among mental health care providers. 

However, attitudes are changing, and many options exist for those seeking compatible, culturally competent BIPOC therapists. 

More BIPOC are open to receiving mental health support and treatment, decreasing the stigma and distrust of mental health care providers. Many exceptional and engaging BIPOC therapists on social media are popularizing the benefits and availability of culturally informed therapy and discussing various mental health topics. We are becoming more aware of our complex inner lives thanks to Black mental health podcasts discussing breaking generational trauma, overcoming troubled childhoods, recognizing deregulation, and intentional parenting. 

In my own life, I’ve observed my friends and family members becoming more open about seeking professional help. The standard approach to mental and emotional challenges was “just pray.” We now know that accepting professional mental health support is okay. It’s not either/or, but both/and. BIPOC are more informed about how improving our mental health improves our physical health and quality of life. 

Most therapists see clients virtually, eliminating transportation challenges and making seeing a BIPOC therapist more accessible. It’s a matter of knowing what conversations to have and where to look. 

According to Psychology Today, “The advantages of seeing a Black therapist are that it may help Black patients feel more confident [about] beginning therapy, feel more easily understood, and feel a stronger connection to the therapist.” A culturally competent mental health care provider is more effective because there is less to explain, and this added ease lets people feel safe enough to allow vulnerability. 

There are compassionate, masterful Black therapists of every specialty, gender, sexual orientation, spiritual background, insurance status, and approach ready to serve the community. We have to start asking for BIPOC therapists. The benefits of finding one are well-known and documented. Therefore, it is time to normalize having this conversation. 

Ask your primary care practitioner and insurance provider for a referral to a BIPOC therapist. Many companies have Employee Assistant Programs (EAPs) that offer counseling services. Ask for a BIPOC counselor. The more we ask, the more we will see.

Our racial and cultural experience intersects with all other areas of our lives, including our

mental health. As we become knowledgeable about the benefits of tending to our mental

health, we must find the appropriate solutions. 

National and NYC-based referral resources 

Black Emotional and Mental Health Collective (BEAM)—virtual black therapist

referral service: https://beam.community/

Black Mental Health Alliance—culturally relevant mental health referral service:

MPG Consulting; Mary Pender Greene, LCSW-R, CGP, president & CEO—

NYC-based company with a vast network of BIPOC therapists in an

extensive array of specialties; each referral vetted based on specific needs:

NYC Affirmative Psychotherapy—NYC-based Queer and Trans People of

Color (QTPOC) practice with many mental health professionals: 

https://www.nycaffirmativepsychotherapy.com/

Therapy for Black Girls—has an extensive directory of BIPOC therapists and a

podcast that explores Black women’s mental health issues: 

Therapy for Black Men—organization with an extensive national directory of therapists

for Black men: https://therapyforblackmen.org/therapists/

Psychology Today—national media organization with Find a Black and

African-American Therapist referral service: 

https://www.psychologytoday.com/us/therapists/african-american
Claire Julian is the learning & branding coordinator for MPG Consulting, a company committed to eliminating bias and structural racism in the workplace that supports leaders and organizations serving diverse populations by ensuring they are prepared to provide transformative, culturally and racially attuned programmatic, clinical, and administrative services.

The post BIPOC mental health resources are available appeared first on New York Amsterdam News.

* This article was originally published here