10-16-2013 06:35 PM

Airbnb issue boils down to demand


A wall graphic shows Airbnb as part of a sharing economy.




A major element of the dispute between New York regulators and Airbnb is that there is a massive demand for the service.
The Associated Press spoke to New Yorkers who described how they use Airbnb. One woman, a resident of Williamsburg, told the AP that she rents out space for $60 to $70 per night, raising enough money to fund further schooling. Pauline Frommer, of Frommers.com, told the AP that the woman's behavior is a prime example of the niche Airbnb fills in New York: when even the cheapest hotels cost well upward of $100 per night, it makes sense that Airbnb and other services would step in and fill the low-end void with short-term rentals.
The city's position remains that the service both skirts hotel tax laws and presents a public safety issue in that individuals' homes aren't vetted for fire and health code violations, nor do other residents in a given building necessarily wish to have many multiple strangers given access.
Airbnb has inspired a passionate following, including one host who gathered thousands of signatures on a petition aimed at getting state Senators to intervene, as described by Dan Orlando.



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