New York City doesn't require hotels to be licensed. That's likely changing soon

NEW YORK (AP) — In New York City, you need a license to cut hair, work as a tour guide or operate a doggy day care. But you do not need one to run a hotel.

That's likely going to change after city lawmakers passed legislation Wednesday that would require hotels to get a license and maintain it by complying with a slate of new rules on day-to-day operations, from how often rooms are cleaned to who can staff the front desk.

If signed into law by the mayor — whose office said he supports the bill — advocates say the bill will reduce criminal activity, increase cleanliness and service levels, and improve labor standards at New York City’s roughly 700 hotels. They run the gamut from luxury five-star venues in Manhattan, where rooms cost upward of $1,000 a night, to budget inns in the outer boroughs.

Most major U.S. cities, including Chicago, Houston and Los Angeles, have some form of hotel permit, but in the Big Apple, hotels are regulated only by separate business, health and building regulations.