NYC Vacation Apartments BANNED By Paterson

Really? Among everything else this state is handling, Paterson decides to ban this? NY Governor David Paterson has signed a bill that makes short-term, vacation apartment rentals illegal in New York City, a defeat for those who think it will limit choices for Big Apple budget travelers, according to USA Today.

The new law, which outlaws New York apartment rentals for less than 30 days, "fixes problems caused by illegal hotels and improves quality of life in traditional residential apartment buildings, while also meeting the needs of visitors. By removing a legal gray area and replacing it with a clear definition of permanent occupancy, the law will allow enforcement efforts that help New Yorkers who live in SRO units and other types of affordable housing preserve their homes," said Paterson in a prepared statement. "By making the effective date of this law May 1, 2011, property holders, business owners and not-for-profit corporations will be able to adjust the uses of their properties to the provisions of this law, or to dispose of the properties at issue so that they may find alternate sites for their current uses."

"When housing designated for permanent occupancy is illegally converted into a hotel, unsafe conditions are created, the residential character of City neighborhoods is harmed and the supply of much-needed units of housing is depleted," added New York Mayor Michael A. Bloomberg. "The bill provides a clear definition of what constitutes transient and permanent occupancy, which will allow City agencies to issue summonses and initiate other enforcement actions against illegal hotels."