Airbnb Detractors Point to Fire Code Violations Ahead of January 20 Hearing
Jan. 19, 2015 — Airbnb and its supporters were dealt yet another blow ahead of a City Council hearing on January 20 at City Hall titled, "Short Term Rentals: Stimulating the Economy or Destabilizing Neighborhoods." New York City Council Fire and Criminal Justice Services Committee Chair Elizabeth Crowley has asked the New York City Fire Department (FDNY) to prioritize the investigation of 311 complaints reporting illegal hotel activity by companies like Airbnb because of the disproportionate public safety threat caused by fire code violations occurring in short-term rentals.
Councilmember Crowley's call for increased fire inspections of illegal hotels follows a sworn affidavit by the former FDNY Chief of Fire Prevention Thomas Jensen stating that residents and visitors of buildings with illegal hotel rentals face a greater risk of injury or death because Airbnb and other illegal hotel users are unfamiliar with building layouts and evacuation plans, making it more difficult to exit in the event of a fire emergency.
According to Jensen, unlike legitimate hotels, where there are standard regulations for smoke detectors with alarms to automatically notify FDNY and where there are evacuation plans with a secondary egress in case of fire, Airbnb and other illegal hotel rentals units do not meet the same fire safety standards.
Chief Jensen also noted that by law, hotels are required to provide portable fire extinguishers, automatic sprinkler systems, photo-luminescent exit path markings for exits and stairwells in high rise buildings, manual and/or automatic fire alarm systems on all floors with smoke detection capability, and a fire safety and evacuation plan. Residential buildings — converted into illegal hotel rentals — do not have to provide for these safety protections, Jensen added.
Fellow Fire Committee member Councilman Ben Kallos said he plans to hold Airbnb accountable for fire code violations at the upcoming hearing.
Meanwhile, Crain's reports that Airbnb is urging supporters to rally on the steps of City Hall. Counter-rallies by detractors are also anticipated.
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