Skip to main content

Airbnb files federal lawsuit after passage of prohibitive New York bill

airbnb nyc lawsuit settled
Image used with permission by copyright holder
On the same day that New York Governor Andrew Cuomo signed a bill that would allow authorities to fine hosts up to $7,500 for listing a property on rental sites like Airbnb, the company struck back and filed a federal lawsuit. The home rental giant claimed the new regulations would cause the company “irreparable harm.”

More specifically, the new law, which the New York state legislature passed in June, will “strengthen New York’s existing laws on short-term property listings, which, as of 2010, prohibit apartments — defined as buildings with ‘three or more units’ — from being rented out for less than 30 days.” With the law’s official passage on Friday, owners can face fines of $1,000 for their first violation, $5,000 for their second, and $7,500 for the third and every violation thereafter.

Airbnb filed on Friday afternoon in Federal District Court in the Southern District of New York against state attorney general Eric T. Schneiderman and New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio, according to the New York Times. “The company contends that the law violates the company’s constitutional rights to free speech and due process, as well as the protection it is afforded under the Communications Decency Act, a federal law that says websites cannot be held accountable for content published by their users.”

Airbnb’s purpose is to enable this illegal “content published by their users,” so New York lawmakers have utilized this gray area to pass the bill.

Linda B. Rosenthal, a Manhattan Democrat who sponsored the bill, told the New York times that the state is “taking a bold step that will hopefully set a standard for the rest of the country and other countries in the world that are struggling with the impact of Airbnb on affordable housing.”

As part of its complaint, the company said the law would “impose significant and immediate burdens and irreparable harm on Airbnb. In order to be assured of avoiding liability, including potential criminal prosecution, Airbnb would be required to screen and review every listing a host seeks to publish.”

While Airbnb argues the law conflicts with the Communicatoins Decency Act, one of the lawmakers behind the bill, New York Sen. Liz Krueger said regulators had the law in mind when the bill was drafted, “which is why it holds the hosts responsible for advertising illegal listings and does not impose any fines on Airbnb.”

Harrison Kaminsky
Harrison’s obsession in the tech space originated in his father’s electronics store in Denville, New Jersey, where he…
Mobile-first: Empower virtual workers with Verizon Mobile for Microsoft Teams
man having work chat from home office with colleagues on screen.

This content was produced in partnership with Verizon.
In today’s fast-paced business environment, being able to communicate quickly and reliably with coworkers, customers, partners and others is essential. But for many organizations, their workforces are increasingly distributed, hybrid and mobile, and their collaboration experience is fragmented with many, disparate solutions, devices and tools that often don’t work well together. That’s why many companies are turning to collaborative apps like Microsoft Teams to help workers more effectively connect and collaborate no matter where they are.

Microsoft Teams is a comprehensive collaboration work experience that includes meetings, internal calling, chat and more. While Teams has become synonymous with modern work, out of the box it doesn’t offer the ability to make and receive calls outside the organization. Since many employees work remotely, in the field or on the go and need to retain access to enterprise-grade functionality, having a fully-featured unified communication solution from a mobile device is vital. That's where Verizon Mobile for Microsoft Teams comes into play.

Read more
How to hire remote workers
ZipRecruiter Job Board Lifestyle Post

This content was produced in partnership with ZupRecruiter.
Many businesses have learned in recent times that being able to hire remotely is a huge benefit. Rather than being limited to a local pool of potential employees or needing to persuade candidates to move for a new job, remote employment means you have the flexibility of the world. By hiring people from any location and allowing them to work from home remotely, you instantly expand your horizons and the quality of the candidate you might find. But, how do you hire such staff? Here's an overview of how to hire remote workers and what's involved.
Ensure your role can be conducted remotely
Many jobs can be performed well remotely, but not all. It's likely you already know if your business can be easily conducted virtually and remotely, but make sure to consider how effective remote working can be for your firm.

Remote jobs can be as varied as writing, editing, coding, design, or even marketing. It's also possible to hire virtual assistants to work remotely, without any need for them to be working in the same location as you.

Read more
Filmora at VidCon 2023: YouTube Creators Embrace AI for Future Video Content

This content was produced in partnership with Wondershare.
Wondershare's Filmora has shown everyone how it's done at VidCon 2023, highlighting its unique AI-powered tools that elevate video content creation for everyone, not just the experts out there. But before we dig ourselves too deep, let's backtrack a little.

I think most of us can agree we are in the age of artificial intelligence. Maybe it's not taking over anytime soon, but there are dozens, if not hundreds of new tools available across a swath of industries. Of course, it shows some real promise in the world of creativity, allowing many of us to be more productive than ever. The world of video creation is no exception to that rule, and AI really stands out as a useful tool. Understandably, Wondershare Filmora have acted quickly to capture practical trends, by adding AI-powered tools to the video content creation suite. Filmora, as you may know, is an excellent video production and editing tool, that truly simplifies the entire process of video creation -- and allows content creators to take their vision to the next level with unique alterations, effects, and toolsets.

Read more