Airbnb’s New Terms of Service Are About Taxes, Law Breaking and Evictions
Photo Credit: Airbnb is leaving the free-wheeling days behind it as it cleans up its act. Airbnb
Skift Take
These new terms are out there to get Airbnb ready to go legit. But there's still much work to do, including making hosts feel comfortable as the service goes mainstream.
When it comes to big changes, Airbnb is on a tear of sorts as it seeks to appease regulators, calm investors, and prevent users from running scared.
Last week there was a chain of announcements that Airbnb would begin collecting hotel taxes in New York City and San Francisco, its two largest markets in the U.S. This gets the short-term housing operation on the better side of municipalities worried about lost tax revenue when potential hotel guests turn to Airbnb instead.
There are two remaining challenges ahead for Airbnb and its users:
Most large cities where it operates ban a large portion of the type of short-term apartment rentals listed on the site.
In cases where the a city doesn't ban short-term rentals, hosts' own leases or condo and coop board rules often restrict this type of exchange.
In its new Terms of Service, which Airbnb emailed its users about last night, the service is trying to highlight the new tax rules as well as provide better guidance about local
