NEW YORK — In New York City, while professions such as hairdressers, tour guides, and dog daycare operators require licenses, hotels have operated without such oversight until now. On Wednesday, city officials moved to change that by passing legislation aimed at introducing licensing requirements for hotels, alongside new operational guidelines concerning room cleanliness, staffing protocols, and more.

If the mayor signs the bill—an action his office has indicated support for—proponents believe it could help curb criminal activities, enhance cleanliness and overall service at the approximately 700 hotels in New York City. These establishments range from opulent five-star accommodations in Manhattan, which can charge upwards of $1,000 per night, to more economical options in the outer boroughs.

Unlike many major U.S. cities—including Chicago, Houston, and Los Angeles—that already mandate hotel permits, New York has relied on existing business, health, and building regulations to govern hotels. “There is an urgent need for regulation,” stated City Council Member Julie Menin, a Democrat from Manhattan and the leading sponsor of the bill. She highlighted instances where complaints against certain hotels went unresolved due to a lack of authority to close them down.

The proposed legislation stipulates that hotel staff, including front desk personnel, housekeepers, and bellhops, must be direct employees rather than subcontractors. Additionally, hotel staff would be equipped with panic buttons to quickly summon security in case of emergencies. Menin emphasized that requiring direct employment enhances accountability for hotel owners, preventing them from deflecting responsibilities onto third-party service providers.

For patrons, the legislation establishes minimum service standards, such as consistent coverage from a security guard and a front desk staff member, as well as readily available fresh linens and daily room cleaning, unless a guest opts out. Following the pandemic, numerous hotels nationwide opted to reduce room cleaning frequency, offering service only upon request.

The initial proposal garnered support from the Hotel and Gaming Trades Council, the union representing hotel workers in the city, but faced significant opposition from parts of the hotel industry. As a result, some more stringent measures concerning subcontractor use were scaled back.

The approved bill includes provisions that allow existing subcontractor arrangements to continue and exempts smaller hotels with fewer than 100 rooms from certain subcontracting regulations. Moreover, hotels will still be permitted to subcontract for ancillary roles such as parking attendants, food service workers, and specialized cleaning personnel.

Revisions to the legislation also softened penalties for non-compliance, shifting from immediate license revocation for serious infractions to granting a 30-day period for hotels to rectify any deficiencies. Kevin Carey, interim CEO of the American Hotel & Lodging Association, described the bill as a “victory for special interests at the cost of smaller and minority-owned businesses.”

Carey expressed that while the updated version includes some concessions as a result of feedback from numerous hotels and hospitality industry representatives, it still unfairly imposes regulations on larger hotels that do not directly address the bill’s objectives of improving health and safety.