New York fights website listing homes for tourists to rent

Each night, people in apartments all over New York City are cleaning up, putting out fresh towels and clearing out - to rent their private space to strangers from around the world.

Thousands of city residents are using websites such as Airbnb.com to list apartments or rooms for as little as US$35 a night, a phenomenon officials say is illegal in many cases, undercuts the hotel industry, avoids taxes and threatens apartment building safety.

New York state’s attorney general is demanding that Airbnb turn over data on city dwellers who have listed on the site as part of an investigation into whether residents are breaking a state law barring sublets for fewer than 30 days if occupants are not present.

But many residents in the most expensive US city say they’re providing a service that’s valuable to them and their guests. Subletting for nights at a time is often the only way they can afford to pay rents that average US$3,000 a month and can often top US$6,000 in the most desirable areas.

“I use Airbnb to supplement my income, and it’s allowed me to go back to school,” says Mishelle Farer, a 32-year-old former US Army sergeant who rents her second bedroom in Brooklyn’s artsy Williamsburg neighbourhood through Airbnb for US$60 to US$70 a night, depending on the season.