March 17, 2016
The owner of an Upper West Side building who wanted to convert his single room occupancy hotel for rent-stabilized tenants into a tourist nest for Airbnb customers was slapped down Thursday by a panel of appellate judges in Manhattan.
The judges ruled that the Imperial Court Hotel at 307 W. 79 St. and other hotels like it were not “grandfathered” or protected by an older version of the Multiple Dwelling Law — which the legislature had tweaked in 2010.
The ruling overturned a lower court decision and was hailed by tenant advocates.
A Law Department spokesman said, “We are pleased with the decision. It preserves affordable housing and protects the quality of life and safety of residents.”