These Airbnb rentals are ideal for disabled tourists — as long as their wheelchairs have wings.
Handicapped travelers who use the controversial room-rental service could be in for a rude awakening when they arrive in the Big Apple, as a slew of New York City apartments touted as “wheelchair accessible” are really obstacle courses for the infirm.
At one $200-a-night duplex in Astoria, Queens, the listing features a narrow spiral staircase to the second floor.
A “cozy” apartment in the East Village that rents for $180 a night features an extremely steep wooden staircase to its sleeping loft, while a $160-a-night NoHo pad has a metal ladder.
A $135-a-night basement apartment in a Park Slope brownstone is located down a steep step at the end of a narrow path lined with garbage cans.
In a letter being sent to authorities Monday and obtained by The Post, advocates for the disabled are calling for a probe of Airbnb over its comically incorrect “wheelchair accessible” listings.
Edith Prentiss of Disabled In Action of Metropolitan New York said that “what Airbnb is doing is unconscionable, dangerous and deceptive.”
“Imagine the nightmare scenario of paying hundreds of dollars for a room that Airbnb says is ‘wheelchair accessible,’ getting on a plane and showing up — only to find that the bedroom is in a loft with a ladder, or there is no elevator in the building,” she told The Post.
Some of the “accessible” listings are contradicted in comments left by Airbnb renters.
“The biggest advantage of the apartment is its awesome location in the East Village,” an Airbnb guest named Nadia wrote about a Manhattan one-bedroom that rents for $180 a night.
“The only thing to note is that the stairs up to the loft are pretty steep, so if you’re not super mobile, maybe think twice on picking this place.”
Susan Dooha, of the Center for Independence of the Disabled, New York, said that a lie about the accessibility of a property can leave a disabled person in a dire situation.
If someone in a wheelchair can’t turn on the lights, adjust the heat or use the bathroom or kitchen, “they might as well have pitched a tent in the middle of Times Square,” Dooha said.
The letter also alleges that Airbnb may be violating the Americans with Disabilities Act, along with city and state laws that “require all private and public entities providing public accommodations to offer an equal opportunity for persons with a disability.”
It also alludes to Airbnb’s ongoing battle with state Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, who last month released a report that said 72 percent of the company’s New York City listings appeared to violate various rules regulating short-term rentals.
Airbnb said it has a way of dealing with the problem.
“If we receive complaints about a listing being improperly listed as wheelchair accessible, our team investigates immediately and we work with the guest to find them another place to stay,” Airbnb spokesman Nick Papas said.