there is a van on the street in New York's upper East side that's rented out for $96 a night as an Air B N B

on the Upper East Side guests pay at least $96 a night plus fees to sleep on a mattress inside a van parked on the street.

The vehicles, continually moved from one public parking spot to another around one of New York’s wealthiest neighborhoods, have the potential to rake in over $100,000 a year if fully booked.

An Airbnb spokesperson said it is against policy for hosts to rent out space on public property.

The vans are rented out by Magda Agata, a name used by Magdalena Kulisz, an entrepreneur and co-founder of Miss Immigrant USA, a networking group that holds a “community activity pageant” and lists the Mayor’s Office of Immigrant Affairs, and the New York City Sheriff among its “patrons and sponsors.”

Kulisz, who describes herself as a “searching soul” on Facebook, is also a social media consultant, a marketer, and the inventor of a scarf/bag combo she calls the AmphiBag. She has been photographed hobnobbing with Mayor Adams and Gov. Hochul.

Three Upper East Side listings have appeared on Airbnb with reviews going back to February and titles including “Lovely rv place,” “NYC Van Experience” and “The NYC RV.” All pictured the same vehicle, with a bed, a small sink and a toilet placed between the two car seats. A sign taped to the lid of the toilet reads “For Emergency USE only please! Please avoid doing #2 here!”

Kulisz, designated by Airbnb as a “superhost” claims in her postings the vans have a “portable AC” but said there was no Wi-Fi, hot water or shower, but offered an alternative: “Shower in our home, see picture, just text and come.”

The listings assured vacationers that everything was on the up and up. “Our property is legally parked and insured,” read the ads.

She cautions guests against leaving less than five stars, noting anything less than that is considered a negative reviews.

Most reviews have been positive but not all guests heeded her warning.

“The place is way too expensive for what it is,” carped one renter named Virgile. “Just have in mind *it’s a mattress in a van in the street*. No restroom (a toilet you cannot use) and it was complicated to come take a shower to the host place.”

Three Upper East Side listings have appeared on Airbnb with reviews going back to February and titles including “Lovely rv place,” “NYC Van Experience” and “The NYC RV.”

It’s not the first time New York vans have appeared on the controversial rental site. In 2015, a host named Jonathan offered vans in Long Island City with views of landmarks. At $22 a night, they went for a fraction of the cost of the Upper East Side fleet.

In 2021, seven vans parked in the East Village and Chelsea being used as Airbnbs were seized by the city after an investigation partly sparked by a viral YouTube video made by a guest who paid $97 to stay the night.

https://www.nydailynews.com/new-york/ny-airbnb-vans-upper-east-side-manhattan-duplicate-plates-magdalena-kulisz-20230725-tafv4prykbbchhpnbggx44iab4-story.html