Using VRBO in New York city
 

I'm going to NYC in March and have been looking at apartments on VRBO.
I have rented from VRBO in Paris but never New York. I noticed on another thread that people warned against doing this in New York. Has no one had a good experience with VRBO in New York? Is there an agency that anyone can recommend? I'm hoping for some positive posts so I can pursue apartment hunting. I'll be there for one week. Thanks.

I think it's illegal in NY.

Most rentals under 30 days are illegal in NY.

"<i>Has no one had a good experience with VRBO in New York? </i>"

Sure, lots have. But that doesn't change the fact the many if not most private/short term rentals are illegal. So even if one finds a decent rental - there is no recourse if something goes wrong.

Several NYC locals will likely find your thread and give you more info . . .

As stated above, most short term (under 30 days) apartment rentals are illegal. Try an apartment/hotel such as Radio City Apartments or Affinia. Put apartment hotels New york in goggle to find more.

I have rented a couple of apts in NYC very successfully for a week or so in the past. Both of those used to be on VRBO. Since the rentals have become illegal (they used to be legal in the condos they were in) they have now been taken off the website.
I do know of some that rent for 30 days or more (still legal).
I'm not sure why other owners of condos are still advertising on VRBO when the weekly rentals are now illegal.

Technically, they illegality doesn't kick in until May, notwithstanding the fact that city and state laws have only been clarified and that most buildings already ban these rentals.

The answer I always give to people who ask me is that you can use VRBO at your own risk, and much of the time nothing will happen. But if something does happen, you have absolutely no legal recourse and are just flat out of luck in the most expensive hotel city in America. This can happen at the beginning or the middle of a rental. I do believe that people have fewer problems with VRBO rentals than with Craigslist rentals, which are sometimes just simple cons.

FYI: Such rentals are also now illegal in Paris.

Thanks for the information.

Some owners/renters don;tcare if it is illegal or not - since they are nottaking the risk. The potential problemisthat the vactioner may - if found out - be considered a respassser by the condo, co-op or landlord (since they have no right to be there) and removed.

If a person owns a private house and want to rent out part of it it's still ilegal (doesn;t meet short-term rental codes) but you won;t be removed. The problem i s finding a person who owns a hourse that is willing to rent some out.

Better to get a hotel room or suite that has a kitchen/kitchenette if you want one.

Try Radio City Apartments (really a hotel) the Beacon or the Affiia Group.

Although I have used VRBO successfully for numerous vacations, I have never done so for a city, whether it be NYC, Paris or Rome. Rightly or wrongly, I am suspicious of short term rentals, outside of agencies, in cities.

There are plenty of suite hotels and b & b's that rent the equivalent of an apt. If you want some recos, post back with approx budget and what size apt. you need.

Thanks, Mclaurie. I was hoping for around $200 but, with the hotel tax, even the Beacon gets high. I would like to be on the Upper West Side and I would like to have a microwave and small fridge, if possible. The Milburn, where I have stayed in the past, is climbing up in price. Maybe this is unrealistic.
Thanks for any recos.

Nancy, prices fluctuate based on date. If you're talking about this Dec., you may have a problem. I think the Newton further north on 96th may have fridge and microwave. Jacksbandb.com is apts. but they book quickly and may also be over budget. The Lucerne amd the Excelsior and both have some suites with kitchenettes. The Belleclaire has fridges but no microwaves. http://belleclairehotel.com/index.php

Newton does have a microwave and fridge - and in Dec you can get a double room with shared bath for about $200 a night. (Anything less in Dec is NOT realistic.) A double with private bath is about $250 per night.

If you are looking at another time of year prices will be significantly lower. Go directly to the hotel web site for best deals.

The neighborhood is good and it's right on top of the subway - and if you like walking you can easily get to a lot of the major museums on foot, either straight down the west side or across the park

Jacks B &B looks like just what I want, and I'm not going until March. Thanks so much.

I made the mistake of renting with UpScale Gypsy on VRBO, and the place was not yet cleaned-there was garbage piled up in the kitchen, the bed unmade with dirty sheets, and dishes in the sink. I had to pick up the cleaning lady who was supposed to have cleaned and passed the key off to me - they will not give me back the $600 I paid in advance. Stay away from these people. They are thieves.

Thanks for the warning.

BigNoisy, you are just lucky there was actually a place. I've heard stories of people who rented apartments in NYC from the "owners" who turned out to be the same guys who send you those emails promising you millions if you just send them your bank account number.

I'll be candid: I have a place in NYC which I use only once a month, and it is tough to have to pay for everything – utilities, cable, building fees... when I'm hardly ever there. But that's the price of admission. So if my neighbor rents weekly or frequently as in VRBO? Yeah...I'm turning them in. Whether the renter gets stuck or not is not my problem. NYC is tough enough to live in without dealing with random comings and goings next door. I find it hard to believe people are still asking this question on this forum. What part of "illegal" is so hard to understand?

Hi Suite7,
I'll take the bait. To those of us who don't live in the city, and especially to those of us who don't live in multi-family housing, the idea that a law can tell you who you can and can't have in your house seems odd.
In a place where my property is my property, and I can do what I want with it, worrying about a neighbor not liking my guests or my plans is quite foreign, and strange, and a little unbelievable.
So please be patient when we say "Really, you can't rent your own apartment to someone if you want to?"
Thanks,
Laura