New York City has more than enough problems for its police force to focus on, but apparently violations of short-term rental regulations is a high priority. NYC’s tough restrictions on short-term rentals are, allegedly, intended to crack down on people who take potential housing off the market by renting it to long-term visitors and tourists.

The crackdowns are coming from the mayor’s Office of Special Enforcement, which did over 2,500 inspections last year. The department was given an extra $2.9 million in funding to be spent on “illegal hotel enforcement.” The government is working in conjunction with hotel unions and affordable housing advocates in a coalition called “Share Better”.

Share Better hired private investigators with hidden cameras, made fake Facebook profiles to conduct stings, and record any sign that a person may be using their home as a hotel, such as owning small bottles of shampoo. In other words, because onerous regulation isn’t enough of a deterrent for New Yorkers hoping to make a bit of cash, NYC is using sting operations on unsuspecting hosts to drive them out of business. Government at its finest.

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