Vacation apartments: A collection of terrible experiences.

Question

Despite the Top Questions entries about NYC laws prohibiting most vacation apartment rentals, the repeated scam warnings, and nearly daily discussion on the forum, we frequently have people who still cannot quite believe that a vacation apartment rental in NYC is a VERY BAD idea.

Here is a collection of prior threads recounting negative experiences by those travelers who were either sadly unaware of the problem, or chose to intentionally ignore the legality issue and engage in a shady transaction.  Some of these threads never die because others add on their dreadful experience.

Yes, forum regulars are sick of seeing these threads, but collecting them means we can easily add it to the Top Questions section.

This is just a subset of similar threads on the forum.  It's a volatile topic, so be prepared for flames!  Keep reading as additional first-person accounts may appear.

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g60763-i5-k5009724-Sigal_Suites-New_York_City_New_York.html

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g60763-i5-k4230475-212_Suites_NYC-New_York_City_New_York.html

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g60763-i5-k5015389-Anyone_ever_rented_from_Vrotels-New_York_City_New_York.html

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g60763-i5-k5020671-Sky_vacation_rentals_new_york-New_York_City_New_York.html

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g60763-i5-k5620183-One_Fine_Stay_now_in_NYC-New_York_City_New_York.html

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g60763-i5-k6045392-Residences_at_51st_Street_and_7th_Avenue_Midtown_New_York-New_York_City_New_York.html

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g60763-i5-k6040796-Gold_suites-New_York_City_New_York.html

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g60763-i5-k5913075-Smart_Apartments_New_York_City-New_York_City_New_York.html

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g60763-i5-k4159433-NYC_VRBO_real_ones-New_York_City_New_York.html

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g60763-i5-k4510411-Do_Not_Rent_from_David_Sadek-New_York_City_New_York.html

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g60763-i5-k6940077-Is_holidaysproperties_com_legit-New_York_City_New_York.html

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g60763-i5-k5468762-212_Suites_scam-New_York_City_New_York.html

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g60763-i5-k5482121-City_Lights_Bed_and_Breakfast-New_York_City_New_York.html

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g60763-i5-k6925963-Short_term_rentals_how_can_I_know_is_it_legal-New_York_City_New_York.html

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g60763-i5-k1966051-Vacation_apartment_fiasco_in_my_building-New_York_City_New_York.html

http://www.tripadvisor.com/ShowTopic-g60763-i5-k7208284-Booking_through_Welkom_inn-New_York_City_New_York.html

MccTripper · Accepted Answer

Thanks for taking the time to compile these Christnp.

WEQueen · Answer

Great! As DE, can't you get this attached as a "Stickie?"

bogwoppit · Answer

Good plan, they really needed to be collected in one place.

ter1413 · Answer

Some people don't care. They would never want you to break the law where they live but go ahead and do it in NYC.

Scott S · Answer

I think it's ignorance most of the time. Being as ads for rentals are on every known search engine commonly used, unless you came here first, you would never know. Occasionally someone on here wants to trumpet their derision with the local laws and customs, but most, once informed, move on.

Good luck with getting people to read these.

iStillDrinkwater · Answer

Really good job Christnp2. This is a great resource.

Christine P · Answer

DE's can add it to the Top Questions section, only TA staff can create a sticky. They do that very judiciously. This might be too negative to invite everyone to read, as only a subset of forum visitors come in with the idea of a vacation apartment rental.

At least now we can respond with "read the top questions" or with the actual links that are easy to find and paste from the Top Questions.

Kate S · Answer

It is lack of information, I had no idea about this law until half way through my stay and when I found out I went cold. I was lucky and my apartment existed and was as expected but I know now it could've worked out very differently. Making this a sticky would be a good idea as this issue receives no publicity anywhere else.

BrooklynBrdge · Answer

People who don't do enough research to find the Top Questions aren't going to find a sticky either. I don't see what difference a sticky would make.

ter1413 · Answer

+ 1 on the above.

Vacation apartments: A collection of terrible experiences. - New York City Forum

Vacation apartments: A collection of terrible experiences.

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