I support extended stay hotels as well, but even those were targeted by legislation. Bill de Blasio signed off a de facto ban during his last days in office on new hotels. Airbnb got so popular because visitors felt hotels were not meeting their needs for longer temporary stays in the first place.

For a month long stay, how would you implement policy to distinguish between a European backpacker from a recent college grad looking for temp housing? Or from a recently arrived Ukarnian/Venezuelan migrant? The only way out of a housing shortage is to build more housing, not by limiting demand. Temporary housing has always existed but now is just an easy target for nativist rhetoric.

The whole ban airbnb discourse is an argument to class transients, temporary workers, students, and interns as less worthy of housing than "long-term" renters. You say the ridiculous NYC rent is due to landlord greed. By that logic were NYC landlords less greedy in 2020 during covid wfh when prices fell dramatically? Rather, it's based on simple supply and demand.

Instead of trying to limit demand, it's much better public policy to increase supply. That way availabilities will go up, prices will fall, and there is room for everyone. NYC has been going through decades of severe underbuilding as well as public policy that increases the cost of new housing. It's time to reverse that trend then the effect of Airbnb will be insignificant.