Airbnb’s Sidelined in NYC. That Probably Won’t Stop Illegal Short-Term Rentals.

Enforcement starts Tuesday on a New York City law requiring all hosts who rent out housing for less than 30 days to register before collecting any money for bookings on platforms like Airbnb or VRBO. Imposing hefty fines on hosts and booking websites that run afoul of registration rules, Local Law 18 aims to end listings for full apartments without hosts present during the stay, which are in effect illegal hotels and already banned by law — a ban that has resisted enforcement until now. A look at existing Airbnb...