Couple fined $8K for listing UES mansion as short-term rental

A couple who listed their five-story Upper East Side mansion on short-term rental websites like HomeAway and VRBO were hit with $8,000 in fines.

Claudio Guazzoni dei Zanetti, founder of IT consulting firm Zanett, and his wife Julia live on the top two floors of their $26 million Mansion On East 76th Street, but allegedly listed units for around $500 per night, the New York Post reported. The home is three blocks away from former Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s townhouse, according to the newspaper.

A one-bedroom unit went for $800 per night, the Post reported, citing online reviewer comments. The couple has now been charged twice by city inspectors.

Under New York state law, it’s illegal to rent out units or rooms for fewer than 30 days unless the owner is also living in the unit. In October, the law was changed to make it illegal to advertise short-term rentals.

Last month, a former broker with Compass was hit with five violations under the state’s new Airbnb laws. She was one of the first people in the city to be penalized under the new legislation.

“Using homes as hotels anywhere in this city is illegal and potentially dangerous,” said Christian Klossner, director of the Mayor’s Office of Special Enforcement, told the Post. “We will continue to crack down on bad actors that profit by taking permanent housing hits off the market.

Guazzoni told the Post the rentals are not illegal because they are for at least 30 days.  [NYP] — Miriam Hall