Airbnb Vs. New York City: The Complete Battle Up to Now
Photo Credit: Airbnb CEO Brian Chesky (M) with U.S. Secretary of Commerce Penny Pritzker this summer. Despite warm relations with senior federal government officials, Airbnb faces huge challenges on the local level, as is the case in New York City. Flickr / GES 2016
Skift Take
Airbnb and New York City have long had a contentious relationship with one another, and it's only going to become even more litigious, now that the short-term rental company is suing the city, its mayor, and the state attorney general. 2017 is going to be interesting for the sharing giant.
To say that Airbnb and New York City aren't exactly the best of friends might be an understatement.
Although New York City is the $30-billion company's No. 1 market in the U.S., local government in New York has never welcomed the alternative accommodations provider and its peers with open arms.
On Friday, Oct. 21, that relationship got much more contentious when New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed into law a bill that would heavily fine people who advertise short-term rentals on sites like Airbnb that are in violation of current state law. That means someone who advertises an entire Class A apartment (an apartment in a building with three or more units, the most popular type of listing by far) for a period of less than 30 days could be fined anywhere from $1,000 to $7,500, depending on the number of violations.
Immediately following Cuomo's approval, Airbnb sued the city, the mayor, and New York State Attorney General Eric Schneiderman, someone whom they've done battle wit
