Posted on 10/21/2013 4:11:56 PM PDT by cornfedcowboy
Budget-conscious travelers heading to New York City in the coming months could feel a chill in the air — and it’s not just the weather. With a legal battle brewing between state officials and the popular short-term rental site Airbnb, the issue could prompt some of the site’s local users to rethink their roles as part-time landlords.
“There are lots of people who are hesitant about posting on Airbnb because of the lack of clarity about what’s legal and what’s not; this will only add to that,” said Arun Sundararajan, a professor at NYU’s Stern School of Business. “It may also give people who may be coming to the city pause about whether it’s OK or not for them to stay at an Airbnb.”
Thousands of New York City residents list apartments or rooms for short-term rentals on websites such as Airbnb. Officials say such practices are illegal in many cases, avoid taxes, undercut the hotel industry, and pose threats to building safety. Last week, New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman subpoenaed Airbnb, demanding data on the 15,000 New York-based members who serve as “hosts.”
(Excerpt) Read more at nbcnews.com ...
It is all about the taxes wrapped up in a package of safety. I use airbnb all the time all over the world and love it.
We'll have to wait and see how this all plays out. Anytime you're talking about what new technology makes possible like with Airbnb, you have a case where the marketplace has adjusted but the laws have not. It's sad that government rules can threaten a popular travel site.
Our experiences with Airbnb have been so excellent, we are building a single bedroom apartment in a barn we’re renovating that’s destined only for the short-term market. Since its contractual, there’s none of the local tenant-landlord phony baloney. In the right location, the market is huge. The cheapest hotel room in our city is $265/night.
No big surprise in a country where fraudulently representative tyrants presume to use government rules to dictate your business and private relationships with docs, nurses, and the medical profession, and theirs with you.
Every inch of your life and freedom -- government tyranny seeks to regulate and control. We as individuals are perfectly capable of chosing right and doing right by each other all on our own, with minimal structure. Nanny government tyranny in pursuit of money and power want to protect us from doing it "wrong."
Why would it be illegal to let someone use a room/couch for a few bucks?
Okay, I mean in a sane society why would it be illegal....
Don’t you wish FR had a travel forum?
What the hell is a AirBnB?
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