Why NYC's Airbnb ban is 'a slap in the face to people like me'

• A New Yorker rented out their spare bedroom on Airbnb for years, bringing in up to $4,000 a month.
• Under NYC's new short-term-rental rules, they didn't qualify for a license but are still renting.

This as-told-to story is based on an interview with a New York City resident who rents a room in their apartment for short-term stays without a license, which is required as of September 5. Their identity is known to Insider but is being withheld for privacy reasons. This conversation has been edited for length and clarity.

I was lucky enough to get this apartment in October 2000, so it's been 23 years now. I couldn't be happier, I always tell people that I had a dream about this apartment before I ever stepped foot in it. When I walked in, there was so much light and the ceilings were high. It's a pre-war building so there's this beautiful antique wood. I felt like I was home.

I moved to New York City to work in fashion and finish my college degree. I was lucky to work in fashion when I graduated but I got tired of the nasty attitudes. I started my own accessories brand seven years ago. I support myself by being a teacher, but I'm an entrepreneur on the side.

I started renting out my spare bedroom in 2013. Back then, I used Craigslist at first. I remember the first guy who stayed with me. It felt like having a roommate.

The new law is devastating for me

With the money coming in, it was night and day. I wasn't just reliant on the money I made being a teacher. I was able to live comfortably. This year, my rent was $2,600 and I charged $149 per night. Some months I was able to bring in $4,000.

When I first heard about the ban, my stomach turned. Some people really took advantage of Airbnb, they were not being careful. It was people renting four or five apartments and making prices go crazy. But the ban is a slap in the face to people like me. Now I would need to go out and find more students, maybe even more than I can really handle.

I got a notification this summer in the Airbnb profile that I had to apply for a license by September 5. But I learned that my building for some reason doesn't qualify for the license, even though my lease doesn't prevent me from doing this.

So they froze my calendar. I still have it listed on Airbnb for month-long stays, but short-term stays are how you make money. It's harder to find stays for 30 days.

Craigslist isn't as reliable as Airbnb

I don't want to have to go into my savings. I've been able to recover some listings and start using Craigslist, but I'm worried how it will work out in the long term.

Craigslist just isn't reliable and there's no support like there was with Airbnb. I get interested renters but they send suspicious links or ask me for personal information. It's very odd and I'm always unsure if it's a real person or a bot.

Craigslist users always try to haggle the price. Airbnb never had that issue. The price is there and either you book it or don't.

Some are also just flakes. I had a guy interested in staying for a few weeks recently. He even came, looked at the apartment and was supposed to Venmo me the first payment. The day he was supposed to arrive, he never showed. Thankfully, I was able to find a girl from California who is visiting for the marathon.

I'm hoping to rely on word of mouth. It's still way more affordable to stay with me than hotels that can run up to $300 or $400 per night.

I'm fighting to stay in my apartment despite the ban

I never want to let go of this apartment. I've had to be frugal the past few months, avoiding taxis and Ubers. My finances feel less secure now and it's a constant headache to find guests. I'm not really sure what's going to happen come January and February.

I don't feel bad going against the ban, there's worse things going on in the city. Below me there's an apartment that has four people living there. That's also illegal, from what I understand.

I think the hotels are behind this. I know some people abused Airbnb, but the law should be a different story for people that have applied themselves and offer a good service. It really pisses me off.

I see these buildings on Central Park with penthouses that are empty because nobody can pay millions for apartments like that. But here I am fighting to stay in New York in my pre-war walkup building.