New York (CBS New York) Getting a hotel in New York City can be expensive, so imagine, instead, paying a little less to sleep at night in a truck.
The mayor of New York City said that many pickup trucks have been rented Airbnb But not anymore.
“It was just a big green car that’s always been there,” East Village resident Jane Dorsey told CBS2 reporter Lisa Rosner.
That truck was one of seven cars booked on Thursday and Friday.
This week, Road Patrol Sheriff’s deputies have been busy seizing seven allegedly fraudulent and illegally registered trucks used for Airbnb rentals on various streets in Manhattan. ??? pic.twitter.com/rBZ1TBZ2xt
– NYC SHERIFF (@NYCSHERIFF) September 25, 2021
The mayor’s office worked with the NYPD Document Fraud Unit and discovered an “alleged operation of fraudulent and illegal registered vehicles being used as an Airbnb rental.”
Two were in Chelsea, one of whom had incurred nearly $1,500 in parking tickets dating back to December 2020.
Five were in the eastern village. A sleepover inside one of those trucks was posted on YouTube, which Sharif says was part of the investigation.
“I still don’t know if this is legal,” someone said in the video.
On Airbnb, host, Nancy, said she can sleep three guests and described it as a way to “experience #VanLife in NYC!” For restrooms, I’ve listed locations like the local Starbucks and specific venues that open at night, like the Book Club Bar on East 3rd Street.
“A man came in, and asked him to use the restroom,” said Mattosson Anthony, an employee at the Book Club Bar.
An online post showed that he went as high as $97 a night in August.
“It’s cheaper than my apartment,” said one Chelsea resident.
“I was curious how they could survive for so long without being dragged,” said Delphine Le Geoff, an East Village resident.
All of the paintings were from New Jersey, and the person’s registration expired 21 years ago.
Al-Sharif says he is under investigation with the owner or owners of these trucks.
“I didn’t really like the thing that Airbnb had completely taken over the apartments in my block, so the truck looks disgusting,” said East Village resident Matt Miller.
“It makes sense why people would do that,” said Michael Medina, an East Village resident.
He says it makes sense, because as the guest vlogger pointed out, the average one-night hotel stay in New York City is $400.
“I’m glad I did, but I won’t do it again,” the vlogger said.
Now, no one may be able to.
An Airbnb spokesperson released the following statement:
“The host and respective listings are no longer active on the Airbnb platform. In June 2020, we reached a robust information sharing agreement with the City of New York, and subsequently began complying with the City’s Short-Term Rental Data Reporting Act, which regularly provides the City with the ideas it needs to better regulate short-term rentals. Effective. The responsibility for law enforcement rests with the city, and they have the data to do so, in this case, likely for several months.”
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