This might not help with New York but I would recommend Vacation Rental by Owner (VRBO) over Airbnb.

We have a house that we rent on VRBO. We are very focused on our guests having a great time. We have invested significantly in the properly so that it will be enjoyable for the people who rent from us. We also have a property manager who is on call and is there to take care of our guests. About half of the money we collect goes directly to the costs associated with cleaning, laundry, utilities and our property manager's time.

I think one difference between VRBO and Airbnb is that the people who are renting places on VRBO tend to treat the rental more as a business. Which means that they are concerned about their reputation and the experience of the guests.

VRBO doesn’t hide behind the “sharing economy” cant that Airbnb promotes. The approach is that rentals are a business and are treated that way. There will always be people who are bad in business, but they will not do well on the VRBO rankings and listings.

VRBO is not without its faults, but I think that their approach may lead to better experiences for people who pay for short term rentals.