As LI Rentals Proliferate Amid Coronavirus, Ban Weighed

EAST END, NY — Despite daily warnings from Gov. Andrew Cuomo and local elected officials, crowds still congregate on beaches and in public spaces across the East End — and rentals are on the rise amid the surge in coronavirus cases and deaths across Long Island. At least one East End supervisor said his town is weighing a temporary measure to stem the tide.

As of Tuesday, there were 15,049 coronavirus cases in Suffolk County. A total of 236 deaths were reported as of Monday night.

Residents have turned to social media to decry short-term rentals, including Airbnb. A look at the Airbnb availability map on Tuesday indicated numerous listings offered across the East End — at a time when people have been asked to stay home.

Southold Town is considering a temporary ban on such rentals to help stop the spread of the coronavirus.

"We have discussed it and have asked counsel to evaluate it," Southold Town Supervisor Scott Russell said. "Renting during this crisis is inexcusable and it puts money before the health, safety and welfare of the community. There are so many people that have stepped up to see what they can do for this community. Renting now is disrespectful to each and every one of them."

Owners are allowed to advertise their homes on short-term rental platforms for more than 14 nights based on the current code, Russell said.

"The state of emergency didn't change that," he said, adding that any ban would only stop new rentals. "It would not do away with units already rented."

Even if a temporary rental ban were enacted, Russell said, "The question is, will it reduce influx to a meaningful level or is the population already peaking?"

That's a question echoed on the South Fork, where rentals have reportedly trended upward at a brisk pace as the coronavirus continues its march across the state.

The seasonal rental market has seen an early start on the East End, according to reports.

According to new data released from Out East, "interest from renters has kicked off early. There was an 130% uptick in the number of renters contacting agents on Out East this March compared to last year."

An Out East media representative told Patch there has been an increase in homeowners listing their homes for rent. At the end of March, 53 percent more rentals were listed on Out East compared to the beginning of the month. In 2019, there was only a 9 percent increase in listings between these two time periods, Out East said.

Also new: Renters are searching for homes for immediate move-in, Out East said.

"With our latest update, renters can now search for homes available for April and May in addition to the 'more traditional' summertime periods," Out East said. "Since the new search time periods launched, more than double the amount of users have searched for homes available for the month of April compared to Memorial Day to Labor Day."

Airbnb responded to requests for comment from Patch: “Airbnb is working with local governments in realtime," said Josh Meltzer, head of northeast policy for Airbnb. "We also want to ensure that short-term rentals are an available resource for frontline responders and those sheltering in place during this crisis.”

Airbnb is communicating directly with hosts and guests to provide guidance on applicable local and statewide orders. In addition, Airbnb has launched a program that has resulted in 100,000 homes being offered up by its host community to help house medical workers who need safe places to stay and self-isolate near hospitals.

Airbnb's platform has also been updated to advise guests to check local travel restrictions before booking stays; guests see the message prior to booking. The business said it has also sent communications widely to its host community encouraging each to check local orders with a link to its travel restriction directory page, which is being updated in realtime. Airbnb is reinforcing its public health guidance and, the business said it continues to provide "robust cleaning guidance" to hosts in partnership with epidemiologist Dr. Larry Brilliant.

A call for comment to the Hamptons North Fork REALTORS Association on the possibility of a rental ban was not immediately returned.

South Fork elected officials weigh in

When asked if he would consider a rental ban, Southampton Town Supervisor Jay Schneiderman said Monday, "I am not at the moment, though several real estate people suggest we put in rental restrictions. I plan to bring it up tomorrow on a conference call with East End supervisors and mayors. I will discuss with real estate industry leaders, as well."

However, he said, the question remains whether a measure would be relatively ineffective at the current time.

"It seems like most places are filled already," Schneiderman said.

Southampton Village Mayor Jesse Warren said, "At this point, most people who rented or own homes are here."

"We want to avoid the back and forth," Warren added. "We don't want you to go from one high risk area to another, to New York City and back. That will only steepen the curve. If you are going to come from New York City, you should quarantine yourself for 14 days once you arrive in Southampton and stay put. That's what I'd like to see happen."

On the issue of rentals, Warren said the village is going to wait for additional guidance from Cuomo and reach out to the real estate community and get their opinions.

Warren said social distancing remains critical. To that end, the village updated its state of emergency declaration. He issued an executive order with "very strong guidance" urging individuals to wear face masks or coverings to help curb the spread of coronavirus. His one concern is that he does not want those wearing masks to have a "false sense of security. The masks protect other people from you and not vice versa."

Warren said he is "working closely" with a supplier for three-ply surgical masks that will be distributed by the highway department, he said.

Some plea for ban, others do not agree

While some have turned to social media saying they would support a rental ban — many have echoed the words "not soon enough" — there are others who do not agree.

"Behavior is what should be addressed, not one’s geographic origins," one East End resident who asked not to be identified said. "Plenty of 'locals' are defying all the rules and regs. Just go to the hardware or grocery or even the beaches. The ban on short term rentals (on the North Fork) hurt local homeowners enough; let alone now try to stop it altogether? Nobody seems to mention that Southold was Ground Zero for covid and maybe that's why our % numbers per 1000 may be higher than others?"

Currently, Southold Town has 9.87 coronavirus cases per 1,000 people.

"Where is the data that indicates the influx of others to their own homes and rentals are directly related to the increase in cases?" the resident asked. "It is contributing to a mob mentality that is fed by the community and their continued efforts to stop even homeowners from using their own homes! I’m always baffled that how a republican stronghold is so quick to allow government to usurp individual rights. It’s oxymoronic." He added that he is disgusted by "all of this band-standing by politicians. Get out there and see what’s up in the community; don’t just look at numbers. Who is surprised by increased cases with all the additional testing and with the understanding that this is how the virus arcs before it levels? Those are universal facts."

Other resort communities are employing methods of tracking and requiring 14-day quarantines, he said.

East End travel restrictions requested; Cuomo "unaware"

Cuomo said on Sunday that he was unaware of any elected officials on the East End asking for people not to come out to their second homes — despite a letter signed by supervisors and mayors in late March asking him to consider just that, as cases of the coronavirus continue to sweep across Long Island.

At Sunday's press briefing, a question was asked about New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy telling residents not to go to their second homes at the Jersey Shore, and whether Cuomo would consider a similar measure for New Yorkers heading to areas such as the East End.

"I have not," Cuomo said. "I will take a look at the New Jersey order. But I haven't heard local officials raise concerns."

In late March, however, despite urging from East End supervisors for possible travel restrictions, Cuomo said it was not in his plans even amid a spike in confirmed cases of coronavirus across Long Island.

When asked about a possible travel ban suggested by county or local officials, Cuomo said: "Counties can come up with whatever they want, but I don't have any travel ban on my agenda."

Local leaders react

On Sunday, East End town supervisors reacted to Cuomo's statement that he hadn't heard about concerns from local officials.

"East End officials raised the issue weeks ago and sent him a formal request signed by three supervisors, several mayors and the Shinnecock Nation," Russell said. "This request is not unique. Communities to the north, south, east and west are seeing the same influx we are and are asking for the same restrictions. Our intent was to halt the unnecessary travel and to address the population that was exploding from renters looking to escape New York at the same time the virus was spreading rapidly. These people have no ties to Southold and are using the community as nothing more than a safe harbor. It is putting a tremendous strain on our resources."

He added: "Sorry, but now's not a good time for hospitality. The request was covered by New York, national, and international media ... I'm not sure how he could be unaware of it."

Schneiderman said he was "really surprised" by Cuomo's statement Sunday.

"We asked for it," Schneiderman said. He sent the letter signed by officials asking Cuomo to consider the restrictions. Schneiderman said he did get confirmation that the letter had been received and that it would be given to Cuomo with "urgency."

But, Schneiderman added: "I don't know whether the governor actually saw it or not. I guess it's possible that he didn't; he's very busy right now dealing with so many different things."

He added that he believes Cuomo is doing a "tremendous" job.

The bottom line?

"It's too late," Schneiderman said. "Most of the summer homes out here are occupied now. The pace of people coming from the city has slowed down. Most people who were coming from the city are here, and I'm not sure how effective travel restrictions are going to be at this point, anyway."

But there's still the rental market, he said, which is moving at a brisk pace in the Hamptons, despite the spike in new coronavirus cases and an escalating number of deaths countywide. "Even a lot of real estate people, who make their living in this business, are saying we should restrict rentals," he said.

Thankfully, the hospital "seems to be managing well," Schneiderman said. "The stores seem to have ample supplies. We're going to get through this."

Joining together to ask for help

A divide has emerged on the East End between locals who feel their supplies are stripped bare and health services overburdened, and many second home owners who state that they have a right to retreat to their own residences. Images posted on social media of discarded latex gloves tossed on the ground outside supermarkets sparked fury among some who saw them as a symbol of disregard for those who live and work in the community even in the face of coronavirus.

A group of East End supervisors and mayors wrote the letter last month asking Cuomo to consider short-term limits on non-essential travel to the summer communities that they say are straining under the weight of a surge in people heading out from New York City and other areas to the west.

Schneiderman, who penned the letter, said he believed that already more than half of the summer homes, normally vacant this time of year, are occupied, effectively doubling the local population.

The letter recognized the right of seasonal residents from the metro area to reside in the community as they wish, but encourages them to follow the recommendation of Dr. Deborah Birx, the White House coronavirus response coordinator, who told reporters at a news conference that anyone who left the Big Apple in past weeks may have been exposed to the virus. Furthermore, they should should self-quarantine for 14 days.

Local leaders requested that Cuomo consider restrictions on non-essential trips such as daily sightseeing visits, or day trips, and short-term leisure use of vacation homes.

The letter was signed by two East End supervisors including Russell — Southold has been hard hit by the virus and has seen a number of deaths.

"We're imploring people to follow the governor's directive to stay in place as part of the of the New York PAUSE program," said Russell. "For those who come it's important to quarantine the minute you get here."

Riverhead Town Supervisor Yvette Aguiar and Tribal Leaders of the Shinnecock Indian Nation also signed the letter.

East Hampton Town Supervisor Peter Van Scoyoc did not sign the letter because he wanted broader travel restrictions that would include all of Long Island, a release from Schneiderman's office said; Shelter Island Supervisor Gerry Siller also did not want to add his name to the letter.

Several villages also felt the measures were unnecessary.

Others who signed the letter included Greenport Village Mayor George Hubbard, Westhampton Beach Village Mayor Maria Moore, Jeffrey Sander, North Haven Village Mayor, and Donald Louchheim, Sagaponack Village Mayor.

Russell spoke out strongly on the issue, stating that he would like to see a travel ban to the East End as the number of confirmed cases of the new coronavirus cases continue to rise.

"Our resources are scarce, the risk of spread is too high for a town which is already seeing more than its share of confirmed cases and deaths," he said. "Southold should not be treated as someone's personal isolation unit."

People leaving the city may be behind an uptick in infections in places such as Florida and Long Island, Birx and Dr. Anthony Fauci, the nation's top infectious disease expert, said.

Dr. Howard Zucker, the state health commissioner, veered from that advice.

"I would not follow that," Zucker said, adding that folks who've been in the city recently should continue following the guidelines set forth by the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, such as social distancing.