I don't think you, as a traveler, need to worry about the debate over AirBnB in NYC at this point. That would be a problem for the person renting out their place, who may be running afoul of their lease or of city laws regarding hotel taxes and such. It would not affect someone staying in an apartment or a room for a few days -- there are no "illegal B&B police," and if there were, the likelihood they'd find *your* situation is pretty much zero. I recently stayed in an AirBnB rental in the Greenpoint section of Brooklyn, and it went without a hitch. We paid about $80 per night for a small apartment. While I wouldn't recommend Greenpoint as a base for sightseeing (dicey transportation if you're not already really familiar with NYC), the idea of a Brooklyn or Queens AirBnB rental is a good one. Next time, maybe plan ahead for an apartment swap. A friend in Montreal swapped her Little Italy place for one in Brooklyn and was able to take her 3 kids for a really reasonable NYC vacation. She arranged the apartment swap via Craigslist; once she had found the couple to swap with they agreed on the mutually-acceptable time period.