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If you know anyone who might like this newsletter, send it to them. If this was sent to you by someone else, subscribe here — it's free!  Dear New Yorkers, Enforcement begins today on a New York City law requiring hosts who rent out housing for less than 30 days to register before collecting any money for bookings — including on major platforms like Airbnb or VRBO. The new Local Law 18 imposes hefty fines on hosts and booking websites that run afoul of registration rules. It aims to end listings for full apartments without hosts present during the stay. These are, in effect, illegal hotels that are already banned by law, although the ban has resisted enforcement so far. In 2021, the Office of Special Enforcement, charged with rooting out illegal hotels, issued summonses to owners of just 365 properties.  A look at existing Airbnb listings shows the scope of the challenge. Before Labor Day, over 10,000 “entire apartment/home” listings on Airbnb in New York City offered availability for bookings shorter than the one-month threshold. And small landlords are pushing back on the new law. “We’ve lost autonomy over our homes,” says Jean Brandolini Lamb, who works with a coalition of homeowners who offer short-term rentals named RHOAR.  The coalition, which formed a few months ago in response to Local Law 18, believes their members shouldn’t be subject to the same rules as large corporate landlords. Read more here. Some other items of note: Can you still get Paxlovid for free? Where did all the COVID testing sites go? And when will we get new booster shots? Here’s THE CITY’s new guide to treatments, tests and vaccines to help you navigate the COVID surge. You’re not imagining it: Tourists are coming back to New York City in big numbers. Jobs in hotels and restaurants are up almost 10% in the last year. Occupancy at hotels has also jumped. Still, the city is not on track to surpass its 2019 record of 66.6 million visitors — because once-numerous travelers from China remain few and far between, and Americans are flocking to Europe in unprecedented numbers.  In recent weeks, according to advocates, police have targeted migrant shelters to confiscate dozens of mopeds parked outside. Last Thursday, Mayor Eric Adams spoke at Foley Square and called on the federal government to issue work visas for migrants: “Let them work. Give them the opportunity to contribute to our society,” he said. But as he left the stage, immigration activists with NYC ICE Watch confronted him over the mopeds. “Every time a moped gets stolen by the NYPD, the migrant has to spend money replacing the $1,000 moped,” said Sergio Uzurin, a spokesperson for the group.  In a deal 13 years in the making, Staten Island Ferry workers and the Adams administration have reached a tentative agreement over raises and overtime. The 16-year agreement between the ferry workers’ union and the city guarantees an immediate 28.55% retroactive salary increase for the ferry system’s roughly 120 engineers, captains and mates — who have not received a pay raise since 2009. Weather scoop by New York Metro Weather Tuesday’s Weather Rating: 4/10. We are once again sweating. High temps reach the lower 90s and dew points are on the rise, too. Lots of sunshine and a bit of a breeze, but the vibes are uncomfortable out there for much of the day today. Things To Do Here’s what’s going on around the city this week. Saturday, Sept. 9: Growing Mushrooms in the Garden, a workshop to learn to grow gourmet mushrooms either indoors or outdoors using low-cost tools. East Fourth Street Community Garden. 2-4 p.m. Free. Saturday, Sept. 9: Queens Memory Project’s Community Weaving Project, a fabric-based art workshop facilitated by Queens-based artist Antonia Perez about “memories and ideas of home.” Socrates Sculpture Park in Queens. 1:30-3:30 p.m. Free with RSVP. Saturday, Sept. 9 and Sunday, Sept. 10: Parade of Trains, an opportunity to ride the Transit Museum’s vintage subway cars. The program event is at the Brighton Beach station B/Q platforms and Kings Highway Manhattan-bound B/Q platform. 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. Free with your subway fare. THE KICKER: More than 550 community gardens are located around New York City — and many of them have completely transformed the area around them. Gothamist has interviewed a local photographer who “set out to capture this transformation through his lens.” Thanks, as always, for reading. Make it a great Tuesday. Love, THE CITY P.S. Love THE CITY? Our nonprofit newsroom runs on support from readers like you. Donate here.

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