Owner of apartment in Trump Tower fined more than $1,000 for Airbnb listing

New York City officials issued a summons to the owner of a condominium at Trump Tower that gained notoriety after being rented out on Airbnb, determining that the unit was being illegally advertised for rent.

The civil summons, given to Lena Yelagina, whose 30th floor apartment was available on Airbnb for at least six months in the time before, during and after the presidential election and inauguration, seeks a penalty of $US 1,000 ($1,310) for the offence.

The listing, which gave hints but did not explicitly advertise that it was located in Trump Tower, was taken down in early March in the weeks after a New York Times reporter made a reservation with the goal of staying there. It had been available for about $300 to $450 a night for stays as short as three nights.

It has been illegal since 2010 to rent out most apartments in New York if the owner is not present for less than 30 days.

“We will continue to crack down on those who profit by turning permanent housing into de facto hotel rooms,” said Melissa Grace, a spokeswoman for Mayor Bill de Blasio.

Yelagina did not respond to a telephone message seeking comment. Public records indicate that she owns the apartment in Trump Tower and is listed as an owner of another apartment on the Upper West Side.

A reading of the sworn affidavit filed by the Mayor’s Office of Special Enforcement, which is in charge of regulating illegal listings, against Yelagina illustrates some of the challenges the city faces in its efforts to regulate such listings.

The city tried to serve her a summons at the beginning of March, but no one answered at her Trump Tower apartment. A week later officials went back and again found no answer at her apartment.

The inspector wrote in the affidavit that the concierge, a Russian woman, told him that Yelagina has owned the apartment for 15 years.

They then tried to find Yelagina at a flower shop that public records indicate she owns nearby but were unable to find her. Finally, the inspector served the summons by leaving it with a doorman at Trump Tower and by mailing it to Yelagina’s apartment.

A hearing is scheduled for May 4.

Last year, New York officials passed legislation to make it easier to regulate listings on Airbnb and other services by making the advertising – not just the renting – of such apartments illegal. But a cursory glance at the service shows that listings for entire apartments are still widely available.

The city began enforcing the new law in February. Since then, Grace said that it has issued 65 violations to nine hosts, including Yelagina, on Airbnb and other services.

Airbnb said it was hoping to change New York’s law.

“This particular listing was removed,” Nick Papas, a spokesman for the company, said in an emailed statement, saying that there were no more Airbnb listings in Trump Tower.

This story was originally published on The New York Times.