This week readers headed over to Brick Underground to read about a new initiative by New York City to block illegal short-term rentals. Starting in January, hosts must register with the city and confirm they are not in violation of their lease or any laws. Airbnb and other platforms will need to verify that registration status to process transactions. The new system will likely weed out over 10,000 illegal listings, the city says.

Also of interest: NYC rents in November were close to record highs even though lease signings were down, which is typical for cooler months.

Here are this week's top five posts:

1) To combat illegal short-term rentals, NYC tries a new registration system for hosts. Here's how it works

2) Expect NYC rents to fall? You're going to be disappointed by this latest market snapshot

3) I found an envelope of cash and bumped up my building’s holiday tips

4) 9 negotiating mistakes to avoid when you're buying in NYC

5) From Manhattan Valley to Bushwick: My roommate's partner moved in so I bought a condo on my own