On September 13, 2023, at the request of Commissioner Alex Fernandez, the City Commission referred the subject discussion item (C4 Q) to the Land Use and Sustainability Committee (LUSC). On October 11, 2023 the item was deferred to the January 2024 LUSC meeting, with no discussion. While the LUSC was reconstituted on January 31, 2024, no meeting was held in January 2024.

Attached, as part of the referral memo, is a copy of a recent article entitled “The End of Airbnb in New York”, which details how thousands of Airbnb and short-term rentals are on the brink of disappearing from rental platforms in New York City due to Local Law 18. The item sponsor has requested that the LUSC discuss how the City of Miami Beach can implement regulations similar to those in New York City.

As noted in the attached article, Local Law 18 regulates short-term rentals in New York City. If there is a desire to explore similar regulations for Miami Beach, the City Attorney’s Office would need to determine whether they would contravene State preemptions on short term rental regulations.