Airbnb Drops Lawsuit In New York

Airbnb has decided to give up on its fight against the city of New York and a new state law. The city passed a law in October 2016 that meant Airbnb hosts would face steep fines if they were found to be breaking local laws against short-term rentals. Almost immediately after it was passed, Airbnb filed a lawsuit of its own, saying that the new regulation would cause “irreparable harm”. However, the company has now dropped the lawsuit on the conditions that only hosts would be fined, and not Airbnb itself. New York Assemblywoman, Linda B. Rosenthal, accused Airbnb of being a company which turned affordable housing into illegal hotels, before adding that it “clearly recognised that it was a foolhardy and frivolous lawsuit”. This comes as the company is also fighting against similar laws in Berlin, Barcelona, and Amsterdam. 

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